Rep.Thibaut, Major (D)
District# 18, New Roads

• District # 18: House District 1
• Party: Democrat
• Caucus Membership: Acadiana Delegation
  Capital Region Legislative Delegation
  Democratic Caucus
  Louisiana Rural Caucus
• Occupation:Insurance and Financial Services
• Education:Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee, 1995; Louisiana State University, 1999
• Spouse:Single
• Year Elected: 2008
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit):2020
• 2007 Election
  

• Louisiana Map
• District Map
• Metro Map
• Economic: The district is comprised of all of Pointe Coupee and portions of West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes. West Baton Rouge, however, is the driving force behind the economic engines of House District 18. It provides huge employment opportunities at giant petrochemical operations located on the Mississippi River. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge also provides jobs in the parish seat of Port Allen and video poker establishments attract individuals to the area. On the horizon, a movie studio is being constructed in West Baton Rouge and could create an entirely new local economy – and bring national recognition. Studio City Louisiana is expected to eventually generate $553 million in annual sales. West Feliciana, meanwhile, is home to Angola State Penitentiary, which provides numerous jobs and some tourism opportunities during Angola’s Rodeo Days. In Pointe Coupee, an important tax base has sprouted up around False River in New Roads, an ironically-named oxbow lake. Agriculture is still an important part of the economic equation as evidenced by sugarcane and soybean fields, but its impact is diminishing.
  
  Social: House District 18 is primarily populated by Cajun Catholics. This area’s population is spread out amongst small cities, towns and villages – Port Allen serves as the regional anchor. The working middle-class dominates the social landscape here, but well defined pockets of urban poor are found in practically every town.
  
  Political: African-American voters are very active in House District 18 and organized labor plays a big role behind the scenes. The power of local officials here should not be underestimated; the old courthouse gangs are alive and well. Democrats and Republicans can both do well here, but West Baton Rouge in particular has seen a notable surge in African-American voter turnout in recent years. Port Allen, for instance, has seen its first African-American mayor and police chief elected in recent years.

• Major Thibaut is a New Roads Democrat who comes to the Legislature via the Pointe Coupee School Board. He’s also among the youngest members of the House, having earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from LSU in 1999. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Thibaut has been able to quickly carve out a respectable niche for a freshman on issues related to learning and youth. He has secured a coveted spot on the House Education Committee and passed two bills in his first session creating new guidelines for the maintenance of juvenile fingerprints and giving district attorneys more of a say in certain juvenile justice programs and services. In his spare time, Thibaut is a well-known volunteer for charitable fundraisers that benefit visually impaired children and education-based programs.
  
  Thibaut has also leveraged his professional experience as the owner of a New York Life Insurance investment planning business. He’s a vocal member of the House Commerce Committee and passed another bill in his inaugural session that changes the criterion used to cancel certain property insurance policies. As an accredited retirement plan consultant, he should also offer a unique perspective in coming years on the state’s ongoing challenges with its various retirement systems.
  
  Policies coming out the House Natural Resources Committee likewise have a good chance of catching Thibaut’s attention. In addition to being an avid hunter and outdoorsman, he’s a member of the American Quarter Horse Association, Quality Deer Management Association and National Rifle Association. Thibaut buys into the numbers strategy in the Lower Chamber as well and is a member of the Acadiana Delegation, Capital Region Legislative Delegation, Democratic Caucus and Louisiana Rural Caucus.