Sen. B. L. "Buddy" Shaw (R)
District# 37,

• District # 37: House District 0
• Party:Republican
• Caucus Membership: --
• Occupation: Retired Educator
• Education: Jamestown High School; M.S. & B.S., Northwestern State University; Ed.D., Louisiana State University
• Spouse: Mary Ann
• Year Elected: 2008
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
• 2007 Election
  In a crowded five-person primary which included four republicans, term-limited state Rep. Billy Montgomery, former state Rep. Shaw, Caddo Parish Commissioner Jay Murrel and Barrow Peacock and democrat Sheva Simms, Montgomery led with 29 percent of the vote. However, Shaw defeated Montgomery in the run-off by nearly 2,000 votes.
  

• Louisiana Map
• District Map
• Metro Map
• Economic: This district includes much of Shreveport and all of Bossier City. Bossier City is the fasted growing city in the state. Three riverboat casinos operate in Bossier City, drawing gamblers from Texas and Arkansas. The casinos represent 4,500 direct jobs and 4,000 indirect jobs in restaurants, hotels and retailers. Construction business is booming, and the massive investment in commercial construction goes on unabated. One of these projects is the new Bossier Parish Community College, the $140 million Louisiana Boardwalk construction, the expansion of Diamond Jack’s Casino Resort and the Harrah’s Louisiana Downs expansion. Shreveport Bossier now boasts a 600-foot cargo wharf, a 50-foot bridge crane and a 30,000 square foot storage shed. In addition Morris & Dickson L.L.C. has constructed a new distribution complex at the port. The Department of Defense invested over $50 million in new construction at Barksdale Air Force Base. The Base has an annual economic impact of $850,000 in the region.
• Social: The average household incomes here are higher than the average of Louisiana. While the portion of the district which lies in Shreveport has the homes of the city leaders, the Bossier City area is more middle- to upper-middle class and predominantly white. The district also houses a large number of Barksdale retirees.
• Political: The social and political attitudes in the district are conservative due to a fairly high number or registered Republicans and a small minority population.

• Buddy Shaw, a Republican, was the representative for District 6 for eight years, from 1996 to 2004 - running unopposed for his last term. In the Senate, he plans to help Louisiana work toward changing its image through statesmanship rather than the political expediency which he sees as having been an ingredient in decision-making in the recent past. He feels that establishing the state as a home for ethical and moral leadership which is an asset for attracting and keeping business and industry. Shaw supported the Blueprint reform agenda in his campaign.
• Vice chairman of the Senate Environmental Committee, Shaw also places a large emphasis on transportation issues. On the horizon, expect him to push for additional spans on the Jimmie Davis Bridge (Hwy. 511) between Bossier and Shreveport. He likewise believes in limited terms of service and once pushed a constitutional amendment that would have limited lawmakers to no more than three consecutive terms, whether in one chamber or both.
• He will support a focus on high-quality, consistent education in the classroom. He wants to address what he sees as fundamental needs in the infrastructure with emphasis on I-49. He said that, like healthcare, our education is always in flux and stresses the need for more vocational and technical programs.
• He will support medical care by allowing the “cash to follow the patient.” He pledges to address the state’s insurance issues and coastal erosion and to promote a complete revision of state taxes, including getting rid of the state’s inventory tax, with the emphasis on business and industry.