Rep. Edwards, John Bel

House Member

Rep. Edwards, John Bel (D)
District# 72, Amite

Contact Information

District Office
Legislative Assistant : Joan Arnone
Email John Bel, Edwards
Phone: (985) 748-2245
Fax: (985) 748-2247
Address: P.O. Box 160
Amite, LA 70422
Map
Capitol House Switch Band: (225) 342-6945
Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336

Profile

- District #: House District 1
- Party: Democrat
- Caucus Membership: Capital Region Legislative Delegation, Democratic Caucus, Louisiana Rural Caucus
- Occupation: Attorney
- Education: Amite High School, 1984;
  United States Military Academy, B.S. Engineering, 1988;
  LSU Law School, J.D., 1999
- Spouse: Donna
- Year Elected: 2007
- Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
- 2007 Election
  Edwards led the pack of six Democrats in the primary election to replace Robert Faucheux. He won in the runoff election with 66 percent of the vote against George Tucker.

District Profile

Registered Voters by Parish: East Feliciana 17.0%, St. Helena 18.5%, Tangipahoa 56.1%, West Feliciana 8.4%
Municipalities/Communities Represented: Amite City, Greensburg, Hammond, Independence, Jackson, Kentwood, Montpelier, Natalbany, Norwood, Roseland, St. Francisville, Tangipahoa, Wilson
- Louisiana Map
- District Map
- Metro Map
Economic: District 72 is one of the state’s more diverse districts. It stretches over four parishes, from Tangipahoa through St. Helena to East and West Feliciana and supports a diverse economy. Agriculture, particularly vegetables, strawberries, dairy, cattle farming and cut flowers, is important to the economy. Timber provides employment in small logging operations in the district. Some residents in the eastern part of the district work in Hammond at SLU or at the Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center in Independence. In the western part of the district, other government jobs are found at state institutions in the Felicianas, including the massive state prison at Angola.

Social: This District, one of the poorest in the state, is almost entirely rural. It skirts a few small cities, such as St. Francisville, and dips south to take in about half of Hammond. Many residents survive on subsistence wages or public support. About 55 percent of the population is black residents.

Political: District 72 remains overwhelmingly Democratic. Except for West Feliciana, the other parishes rely almost completely on state money to fund road and drainage improvements. Many residents also are dependent on state health care and social services.

Biography

- Though John Bel Edwards has no personal political experience, the Edwards family has held the office of sheriff in Tangipahoa Parish for four generations. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Edwards served as an infantry officer in the Army for eight years as an Airborne Ranger.
- Edwards has many ideas to improve the economic development of the district. He would like to see the Zachary Taylor Parkway along La. 10 completed and proposed improvements to Interstate 55 funded. He also believes that in order for the community to grow and prosper, school administrators and teachers should have all the tools necessary to prepare their students to be successful. Edwards supports the idea of providing guaranteed health insurance coverage for all state residents.
- Edwards has a proven track record on a variety of policy fronts. In 2009, he passed legislation detailing how state war veterans homes and care facilities should be used; he created the West Florida Republic Commission; and he put into law new protections for victims of child pornography.