Louisiana

Louisiana

Capital	Baton Rouge
Nickname	The Pelican State
Official Language	English, Spanish
Governor	John Bel Edwards, D
Senator	Bill Cassidy, R (202) 224-5824 Contact
Senator	John Neely Kennedy, R (202) 224-4623 Contact
Population	4,675,000 (2020)
Ratification of Constitution/or statehood	April 30, 1812 (18th)
	Motto: "Union, Justice, and Confidence"

Louisiana is located in the Southern region of the United States and on April 30, 1812 became the eighteenth state to enter into the union. Louisiana was named after the French king Louis XIV. The current governor of Louisiana is John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who is in his second and final term as Governor.

Louisiana is unique in that its legislation is based primarily on Roman civil law instead of English common law; as such, attorneys from other states who wish to practice in Louisiana must sit for its unique bar exam (there is no reciprocity). In addition, while much of the Southern United States is heavily Protestant, Louisiana is predominantly Protestant in the northern half of the state while the southern half (especially in New Orleans and Cajun territory) is predominantly Catholic.

The capital of the state is Baton Rouge, and its largest city is New Orleans. Shreveport ranks third, and Lafayette fourth among incorporated municipalities. Lake Charles is seventh in ranking. If Metairie and Metairie Terrace in Jefferson Parish, which are unincorporated, are considered, Lafayette is ranked sixth.

The state Constitution of Louisiana, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. It says:

We, the people of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political, economic, and religious liberties we enjoy, and desiring to protect individual rights to life, liberty, and property; afford opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; assure equality of rights; promote the health, safety, education, and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; ensure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and justice to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.

Elected Officials[edit]

The Brown Pelican, the Louisiana state bird, was taken off the endangered species list only one year before President Obama approved BP's oil lease which created the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

Federal[edit]

• Sen. Bill Cassidy (R)
• Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R)
• Rep. Steve Scalise (R, LA–01)
• Rep. Troy Carter (D, LA-02)
• Rep. Clay Higgins (R, LA–03)
• Rep. Mike Johnson (R, LA–04)
• Rep. Julia Letlow (R, LA-05)
• Rep. Garret Graves (R, LA–06)

Statewide[edit]

• Governor John Bel Edwards (D)
• Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser (R)
• Attorney General Jeff Landry (R)
• Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin (R) (succeeded Tom Schedler (R), who resigned on May 8, 2018)
• State Treasurer John Schroder (R)
• Agriculture Commissioner Michael Gene "Mike" Strain (R)
• Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon (R)
• Education Superintendent Preston Cade Brumley (R), successor to John White (I)

Legislative[edit]

• House Speaker Clay Schexnayder (R)
• House Majority Leader Blake Miguez (R)
• State Senate President Page Cortez (R)

History[edit]

See: History of Louisiana

Miscellaneous State Facts[edit]

• The state mammal is the American black bear.
• The state reptile is the American alligator.
• The state dog breed is the Catahoula Leopard Dog.

See also[edit]

• State Governors
• Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster

References[edit]