Hunter Greene
Encyclopedia
Hunter Vann Greene is an attorney in Baton Rouge
, Louisiana
, who is a Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from District 66 in East Baton Rouge Parish
.
On October 25, 2011, Governor Bobby Jindal
endorsed Chuck Kleckley
of Lake Charles
as his choice to succeed the term-limited Jim Tucker
as the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Greene and fellow Baton Rouge Representative Erich Ponti
and Republican Representative Joel Robideaux
of Lafayette
and the Democrat Jeff Arnold of New Orleans
were also seeking support for the presiding officer's position.The House of Representatives usually confirms the governor's choice as the Speaker.
in northwestern Louisiana to Herbert Vann Greene (1938–2010), a native of Bernice
in Union Parish
, and the former Edna Jan Barnett, originally from Cotton Valley
in Webster Parish
. The senior Greene was a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army
and a probation officer in Caddo Parish
before he entered the business sector. Hunter Greene has a sister, Kelly Greene-Byram and husband, Kelly, of Shreveport, and a brother, Jade Greene, and wife, Joni, of Lebanon
, Tennessee
.
Greene graduated in 1984 from Southwood High School in Shreveport. In 1989, he received a Bachelor of Science
degree in accounting from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge. In 1994, Greene, who is white, procured a law degree from historically black Southern University
, also in Baton Rouge. Greene's legal practice in Baton Rouge specializes in child custody and divorce initiated by men.
Though his father was Baptist
, Hunter Greene is Roman Catholic. Greene and his wife, the former Emily Aaron, have three children, Ashley, Matthew, and Lauren Greene, all of who attended Catholic schools. Active in the Thomas More Catholic Church, Hunter and Emily Greene are eucharistic ministers.
Greene is a tennis player and golfer and formerly coached basketball for St. Thomas More Church and the YMCA
.
, and later the chief administrative officer of East Baton Rouge Parish.
District 66 covers a large swath of Baton Rouge between downtown and mid-city. It includes the commercial and retail corridor along Florida Boulevard and reaches Jones Creek Road and Coursey Boulevard, a major growth area. Cortana Mall is located in the district; so is Bon Carre’, a technology center. District residents are small businessmen, middle managers, retirees, and younger couples. The district has few African American
voters and hence favorable prospects for the GOP
. Greene was unopposed for his first full term in the 2007 primary. The last Democrat to hold the seat, the newspaper publisher Woody Jenkins
, later switched to the Republican Party to make unsuccessful races for the U.S. Senate in 1996 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008.
Greene is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Budget Committee. He formerly served on the House committees on Judiciary, Governmental Affairs, and Transportation, Highways and Public Works. As a freshman lawmaker, Greene wrote the state bill which defines specific ways to convict sexual predators on the Internet. In 2006, he sponsored a constitutional amendment to strengthen the qualifications needed for judges to run for office. He also authored legislation to eliminate the gift tax and repeal the inheritance tax
. He supported repeal of the controversial Stelly Plan
, named for former Representative Vic Stelly
, which traded an increase in property tax
es in exchange for a reduction in the state sales tax
. Greene proposed a state income tax
deduction for private school tuition, but the plan was vetoed by former Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.
In the spring of 2011, he ran unsuccessfully for a family court judgeship vacancy in East Baton Rouge Parish. Another Republican, Charlene Charlet Day, a former teacher who practices law in Zachary
and resides in Central
, Louisiana, narrowly outpolled the better-known Greene, 5,617 (50.7 percent) to 5,462 (49.3 percent). Day attributed her victory to grassroots organizers. After that defeat, Greene reaffirmed his commitment to remain in the state House and run for Speaker, where potential opponents will include Republicans Chuck Kleckley
of Lake Charles
and Erich Ponti
of Baton Rouge, Democrat Jeff Arnold of New Orleans, and Independent Joel Robideaux
of Lafayette
.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, who is a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from District 66 in East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
.
On October 25, 2011, Governor Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
endorsed Chuck Kleckley
Chuck Kleckley
Charles Edward Kleckley, known as Chuck Kleckey , is a businessman in Lake Charles, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 36 in southwestern Calcasieu Parish....
of Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
as his choice to succeed the term-limited Jim Tucker
Jim Tucker (Louisiana politician)
James Wayne Tucker, known as Jim Tucker , is the departing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and an ally of Governor Bobby Jindal. An investment banker from the Terrytown section of the New Orleans metropolitan area, Tucker's District 86 includes precincts from both Jefferson and...
as the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Greene and fellow Baton Rouge Representative Erich Ponti
Erich Ponti
Erich Edward Ponti , a general contractor, is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 69 in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana....
and Republican Representative Joel Robideaux
Joel Robideaux
Joel Craig Robideaux is a Certified Public Accountant from Lafayette, Louisiana, who is an Independent-turned-Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 45 in Lafayette Parish...
of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
and the Democrat Jeff Arnold of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
were also seeking support for the presiding officer's position.The House of Representatives usually confirms the governor's choice as the Speaker.
Background
Greene was born, not in Baton Rouge, but in ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
in northwestern Louisiana to Herbert Vann Greene (1938–2010), a native of Bernice
Bernice, Louisiana
Bernice is a town in Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,809 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Union Parish
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Farmerville....
, and the former Edna Jan Barnett, originally from Cotton Valley
Cotton Valley, Louisiana
Cotton Valley is a town in central Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,189 at the 2000 census. It is located some twenty miles northwest of the parish seat of Minden.-Overview:-Municipal matters:...
in Webster Parish
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Webster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
. The senior Greene was a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and a probation officer in Caddo Parish
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
before he entered the business sector. Hunter Greene has a sister, Kelly Greene-Byram and husband, Kelly, of Shreveport, and a brother, Jade Greene, and wife, Joni, of Lebanon
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Greene graduated in 1984 from Southwood High School in Shreveport. In 1989, he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in accounting from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge. In 1994, Greene, who is white, procured a law degree from historically black Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
, also in Baton Rouge. Greene's legal practice in Baton Rouge specializes in child custody and divorce initiated by men.
Though his father was Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Hunter Greene is Roman Catholic. Greene and his wife, the former Emily Aaron, have three children, Ashley, Matthew, and Lauren Greene, all of who attended Catholic schools. Active in the Thomas More Catholic Church, Hunter and Emily Greene are eucharistic ministers.
Greene is a tennis player and golfer and formerly coached basketball for St. Thomas More Church and the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
Legislative service
In 2005, Greene won a special election to the House by defeating a fellow Republican, Sean Riecke, 2,951 (53.5 percent) to 2,565 (46.5 percent). The vacancy occurred when the Republican Representative Mike Futrell resigned to become state director for U.S. Senator David VitterDavid Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
, and later the chief administrative officer of East Baton Rouge Parish.
District 66 covers a large swath of Baton Rouge between downtown and mid-city. It includes the commercial and retail corridor along Florida Boulevard and reaches Jones Creek Road and Coursey Boulevard, a major growth area. Cortana Mall is located in the district; so is Bon Carre’, a technology center. District residents are small businessmen, middle managers, retirees, and younger couples. The district has few African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
voters and hence favorable prospects for the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Greene was unopposed for his first full term in the 2007 primary. The last Democrat to hold the seat, the newspaper publisher Woody Jenkins
Woody Jenkins
Louis Elwood "Woody" Jenkins is a newspaper editor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972–2000 and waged three unsuccessful races for the United States Senate....
, later switched to the Republican Party to make unsuccessful races for the U.S. Senate in 1996 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008.
Greene is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Budget Committee. He formerly served on the House committees on Judiciary, Governmental Affairs, and Transportation, Highways and Public Works. As a freshman lawmaker, Greene wrote the state bill which defines specific ways to convict sexual predators on the Internet. In 2006, he sponsored a constitutional amendment to strengthen the qualifications needed for judges to run for office. He also authored legislation to eliminate the gift tax and repeal the inheritance tax
Inheritance tax
An inheritance tax or estate tax is a levy paid by a person who inherits money or property or a tax on the estate of a person who has died...
. He supported repeal of the controversial Stelly Plan
Stelly Plan
The Stelly Plan is a since repealed 2002 tax measure in the U.S. state of Louisiana designed to shift certain state sales taxes on food for home consumption and utilities to increases in state income taxes. Narrowly approved by voters, the proposal soon ran into criticism as middle-class taxpayers...
, named for former Representative Vic Stelly
Vic Stelly
Victor Theodore Stelly, known as Vic Stelly , is a retired businessman from Lake Charles, Louisiana, a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents for Higher Education, and from 1988-2004 a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 35 in Calcasieu Parish in the...
, which traded an increase in property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es in exchange for a reduction in the state sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
. Greene proposed a state income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
deduction for private school tuition, but the plan was vetoed by former Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.
In the spring of 2011, he ran unsuccessfully for a family court judgeship vacancy in East Baton Rouge Parish. Another Republican, Charlene Charlet Day, a former teacher who practices law in Zachary
Zachary, Louisiana
Zachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and resides in Central
Central City, Louisiana
City of Central is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. The newest city in Louisiana, it is the 12th largest city in the state. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Louisiana, narrowly outpolled the better-known Greene, 5,617 (50.7 percent) to 5,462 (49.3 percent). Day attributed her victory to grassroots organizers. After that defeat, Greene reaffirmed his commitment to remain in the state House and run for Speaker, where potential opponents will include Republicans Chuck Kleckley
Chuck Kleckley
Charles Edward Kleckley, known as Chuck Kleckey , is a businessman in Lake Charles, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 36 in southwestern Calcasieu Parish....
of Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
and Erich Ponti
Erich Ponti
Erich Edward Ponti , a general contractor, is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 69 in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana....
of Baton Rouge, Democrat Jeff Arnold of New Orleans, and Independent Joel Robideaux
Joel Robideaux
Joel Craig Robideaux is a Certified Public Accountant from Lafayette, Louisiana, who is an Independent-turned-Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 45 in Lafayette Parish...
of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
.