Ed Price (Louisiana politician)

Edward Joseph Price, known as Ed Price (born May 1953),^[1] is a businessman from Gonzales, Louisiana, who is a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 58 in Ascension, Iberville, and St. James parishes near the capital city of Baton Rouge. ^[2]

Background

Price graduated in 1975 from the historically black Grambling State University in Grambling in Lincoln Parish in North Louisiana. He is a supervisor at Diols Manufacturing BASF Corporation.^[2] He has formerly resided in New Orleans and Darrow in Ascension Parish, dates unavailable.^[3]

Political career

In the November 19, 2011, runoff election in House District 58 to choose a successor to the Democrat Elton M. Aubert, Price handily defeated his intra-party rival, Dwayne "Gully" Bailey, another African American, 4,816 (58.3 percent) to 3,447 (41.7 percent).^[4] Two other Democrats, Heurlin Christopher "Chris" Delpit (born August 1959) and Gail Cherise Holland (born August 1964), both also of Gonzales, were eliminated in the nonpartisan blanket primary for the House held earlier on October 22.^[5]

Representative Price is vice-chairman of the Louisiana Black Caucus and is a member of the Louisiana Rural Caucus, the Acadiana delegation, and the Democratic Caucus. He serves on these committees: (1) Commerce, (2) Education, (3) Retirement, and (4) Atchafalaya Basin Program Oversight.^[2]

Price's legislative ratings have ranged from 36 to 67 percent from the conservative Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Endorsed by the AFL-CIO, Price is ranked 100 percent by the Louisiana Association of Educators. In 2013 and 2014, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum scored him 50 and 33 percent, respectively. He has been rated from 75 to 100 percent by Louisiana Right to Life though he did not vote on the 2014 requirement that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics; the measure passed the House, 88-5.^[6]

In 2014, Price voted to extend the time for implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. He did not vote on the issue of prohibiting the transportation of dogs in the bed of a pick-up truck on interstate highways. In 2013, Price voted to reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. He opposed lifetime concealed carry gun permits and objected as well to the taking of weapons into restaurants. He supported making information about permit holders a matter of public record. He opposed allowing deductions on state income tax deductions to taxpayers who contribute to scholarship funds. In 2012, he voted to prohibit the use of telephones while driving. He opposed the reduction of the number of hours that polling locations remain open. Louisiana has traditionally had 14-hour polling days.^[6]

References