Alan Seabaugh

Background

Alan Seabaugh has been a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2010. He currently serves on the House Appropriations, Insurance, and Retirement Committees as well as the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. In 2012, he was elected Vice Chairman of the Louisiana House Republican delegation.

Seabaugh is the managing partner of Seabaugh, Joffrion, Sepulvado & Victory law firm and is an Allied Attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, (America’s largest religious liberty defense organization). He also is a member of the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions where he helps grade the constitutional law section of the Louisiana state bar exam.

He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, National Federation of Independent Business, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, the Shreveport and Louisiana bar associations, the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Seabaugh graduated from Captain Shreve High School in 1985 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in 1990. In 1993, he received his law degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU. Seabaugh is licensed to practice in all Louisiana state courts, in all three U.S. district courts in Louisiana, and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans. His practice includes insurance defense and claims, contracts, family law, divorce, child support and custody, real estate law, property law, and all areas of civil and commercial litigation.

Seabaugh was a delegate and vice chairman of the Louisiana delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was a member that year of the Electoral College that year. He cast his two votes for the unsuccessful McCain/Palin ticket. He was a delegate to the 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference which convened in New Orleans.

Seabaugh has been a consistent champion of the basic conservative principles of limited government, free enterprise, individual liberties, and traditional family values. A pro-business legislator in the Louisiana House, Seabaugh has received the Patrick Henry Award from the National Guard Association of the United States and was named in 2011 and 2013 as "Outstanding Family Advocate" by Louisiana Family Forum, the state division of Focus on the Family.

Seabaugh and his wife, the former Laura McClelland, have four daughters.

State senate campaign of 2007

In 2007, Seabaugh unsuccessfully challenged Republican State Senator Sherri Smith Buffington, then Sherri Cheek of Keithville in Caddo Parish, who sought her second term in the upper legislative chamber. Seabaugh polled 14,725 votes (47 percent), but Cheek prevailed with 16,665 (53 percent). The district includes south Caddo and DeSoto Parish, the latter of which provided most of Cheek's margin of victory in the race.

Seabaugh said that Cheek "doesn't represent the values of the district. It begins and ends with her voting record. She runs as a Republican and votes like a Democrat." Seabaugh said that he was disturbed that so many from Caddo Parish had left Louisiana to seek economic opportunity elsewhere.

Election of 2010 and first year

Seabaugh was elected to the legislature in 2010 to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Republican Wayne Waddell, who accepted the position of director of the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum at the fairgrounds in Shreveport.

Seabaugh received the backing of business and Christian groups to easily win election. Despite being outspent more than 2-1 by his opponent, moderate Republican and Red River Bank president Harold Turner, Seabaugh mounted a spirited campaign and won a 57-43 percent victory.

Seabaugh's first legislative session dealt with redistricting state legislative and congressional districts. Seabaugh took a leading role in drafting the map of Louisiana's House of Representative's districts authoring a key amendment which prevented the creation of an additional minority district in the Southern Hills area of Shreveport.. The "Seabaugh Amendment", which passed 59-46, became the primary basis of an objection to the redistricting plan from the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, the NAACP, and the National Urban League. Despite these objections, the plan was approved by the U.S. Justice Department.

In the 2011 legislative session, Seabaugh joined the House majority in opposition to a bill designed to promote the teaching and acceptance of homosexuality in Louisiana's public schools. The bill, which was sponsored and promoted by Forum For Equality, a LGBT rights advocacy group, was promoted as an "anti-bullying" bill. Critics, including the Louisiana Family Forum, said that the legislation would be used to promote homosexual life-styles. Seabaugh proposed an amendment which defined bullying as "any intimidating, threatening, or abusive gesture, written, verbal, or physical act."

Seabaugh's amendment removed the controversial language. Nevertheless, Seabaugh still voted against the bill even with his attached amendment when the bill's author indicated that he would attempt to remove Seabaugh's amendment in the Senate. Seabaugh said that the proposed legislation was an attempt to compel public schools "to adopt into their code of student conduct this language which is straight out of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender model legislation playbook."

Re-election in 2011 and first full term

In the primary election held on October 22, 2011, Seabaugh handily defeated fellow Republican and former Shreveport City Councilwoman Cynthia Norton Robertson receiving 79.3% of the vote.

Prior to the start of his first full term, Seabaugh was elected vice chairman of the Louisiana House Republican delegation. He was also appointed as vice chairman of the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee, in which he led the fight for tort reform and against lawsuit abuse. Right out of the gate in the new term, Seabaugh co-authored and was one of the principle floor leaders responsible for the passage of several significant education reform measures. These bills were passed and signed into law as Acts 1 and 2 of 2012.

Seabaugh also was instrumental in blocking Democrat efforts to have Louisiana join the National Popular Vote compact. See video here: http://thehayride.com/2012/05/alan-seabaughs-excellent-speech-defending-the-electoral-college/

Prior to the start of the 2013 session, Seabaugh was appointed to the powerful House Appropriations Committee which is primarily responsible for drafting the state's budget.

During the 2013 session, Seabaugh authored legislation which would have eliminated personal and corporate state income taxes. He also introduced legislation which would have eliminated all state taxes on retirement benefits. Seabaugh's tax cut legislation failed to pass the Republican controlled House Ways and Means Committee.

Seabaugh authored legislation designed to curtail the influence of public employee unions. His HB 552 sought to strike out language in current law allowing for automatic payroll deductions for “union dues, fees and assessments.” The bill failed in committee by one vote when two members switched their votes because of massive lobbying efforts by organized labor.

Budget issues

Long running disputes over Louisiana's budget issues and the state's use of nonrecurring revenue to balance the budget led several members to band together to oppose what they viewed as irresponsible budgeting by Governor Bobby Jindal. This group became known as the "Fiscal Hawks." Seabaugh was one of the original, and most vocal, members of the group. However, in 2013, Seabaugh split with the group when it backed $329 million in "revenue enhancements" which largely consisted of tax increases on Louisiana's businesses and working families. Seabaugh published an "open letter to the tax paying citizens of Louisiana" in which he blasted the Fiscal Hawks for supporting tax increases. see more here: http://thehayride.com/2013/05/budget-news-329-million-in-new-revenues-seabaugh-blasts-tax-increase/

Seabaugh serves as vice chairman of the Louisiana Republican legislative delegation. He is hence the Majority Whip of the state House.

District 5 has been represented by a Republican since 1972. Prior to Waddell, the representative was the current state court Judge Roy Brun. Brun succeeded the late B. F. O'Neal, Jr., a Republican and the first District 5 representative.

U.S. Senate candidacy declined

In 2013, Seabaugh was strongly encouraged to enter the upcoming 2014 U.S. Senate Race against U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat who is seeking a fourth term in the office. Republican U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy of Louisiana's 6th congressional district, based about Baton Rouge is already challenging Landrieu, but many felt that Seabaugh could have a better chance to defeat Landrieu in a head-to-head race. Another Republican conservative, Rob Maness, a United States Air Force colonel from St. Tammany Parish, also sought the post.

After Congressman Cassidy stood with conservatives during the debate over the government shutdown, Representative Seabaugh announced that he would not enter the race and strongly endorsed Cassidy, who subsequently unseated Landrieu.

Merry Christmas bill

In December 2013, Representative Seabaugh announced that he would present a bill in the 2014 legislative session protecting the rights of public schools to celebrate Christmas without fear of costly litigation. Threats of lawsuits by the ACLU and other groups had resulted in many schools canceling Christmas plays and parties and replacing them with "holiday parties" and "winter festivals."^(source?) Seabaugh's legislation would put into Louisiana law the protections already guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the United States Supreme Court. Seabaugh said "I want people to know it’s perfectly OK to say ‘Merry Christmas’ and have a Christmas pageant or a Christmas dance.” Seabaugh's bill would closely resemble one previously passed in Texas earlier in 2013.

Exposing speed traps

In 2014, Representative Seabaugh targeted Washington in St. Landry Parish, home of the state Catfish Festival, as the most "notorious" speed trap in the state. He obtained approval of the House Transportation Committee to allow enforcement of traffic laws only if a community had incorporated at least one-half mile of land that extends to each side of an interstate highway, excluding overpasses and ramps. Seabaugh said that he receives many complaints from Shreveport constituents and even out-of-state residents who have been ticketed for speeding when exceeding the 75 m.p.h. limit only by a mile or two.

Legislative record

Seabaugh's legislative ratings have ranged from 92 to 100 percent from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. In 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014, he was rated 100 percent by the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2011, 2013 and 2014, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum and Louisiana Right to Life scored him 100 percent.

In 2015, Seabaugh was one of a small group of conservative Republicans who opposed massive tax increases on Louisiana businesses and working families which were passed with the support of Governor Jindal. For his efforts in opposing tax increases and supporting fiscally responsible budgeting, Seabaugh was named one of seven MVPs by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. In 2015, Seabaugh was also named State Representative of the year by the Childcare Association of Louisiana.

In 2014, Seabaugh co-sponsored the requirement that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics; the bill was approved by the full House, 88-5 and effectively closed all but one abortion clinic in the state of Louisiana. In 2014, he voted against the Common Core State Standards Initiative. He voted against the prohibition of the transportation of dogs in the beds of pick-up trucks while traveling on interstate highways; the measure passed the House, 53-34. He voted against the repeal of the anti-sodomy laws. He voted against the establishment of surrogacy contracts. He voted against reducing the penalties for the possession of marijuana. He voted to extend concealed-carry privileges to restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages. He voted against making information about permit holders a matter of public record. He voted in 2013 for an increase in judicial pay but opposed the removal of the mandatory retirement age for judges.

In 2012, Seabaugh voted against the prohibition of the use of telephones while driving; the measure nevertheless passed the House, 68-29. He voted against tax incentives for attracting a National Basketball Association team to Louisiana but supported state income tax deductions for individuals who contribute to scholarship funds. He voted to reduce the number of hours that polling locations remain open; Louisiana has traditionally had 14-hour polling days. He co-sponsored the requirement for drug testing of certain welfare recipients, which passed the House, 65 to 26. He supported changes in the teacher tenure law. In 2011, he voted against parole eligibility for elderly inmates; the measure passed the House, 65-25. He opposed the permanent tax on cigarettes. He supported redistricting plans for the Louisiana State Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

Reelection in 2015

In the October 24, 2015 primary election, handily won reelection to the House by defeating an Hispanic Democrat, Eileen Velez of Shreveport, 6,956 votes (71.1 percent) to 2,827(28.9 percent).

Critical tax votes

In March 2016, despite his previous claim as a "Fiscal Hawk", Seabaugh joined a House bipartisan majority for a one-cent increase in the state sales tax. State representatives voted 76 to 28 for the tax hike, a part of the revenue-raising measures pushed by new Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards. A supermajority of seventy lawmakers was required for House passage. A House and Senate conference committee subsequently trimmed the five years for the duration of the tax to expire instead after twenty-seven months, effective from April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018. Even the sale of Bibles and religious publications and Girl Scout cookies are now subject to the tax.

In May 2017, Seabaugh emerged as a strong opponent of Governor John Bel Edwards' proposed increase in the gasoline tax and further called for the abolition of 3,000 of the 4,700 positions in the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.