Dalton W. Honoré

Dalton Wayne Honoré, Sr. (born April 1943),^[1] is an American Democratic former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 63 in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

Background

Honoré received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge and attended the Law Enforcement Institute at Louisiana State University, also in Baton Rouge. He is a businessman and former law-enforcement officer.^[2]

He has resided in Baton Rouge his entire life.

Political life

On May 29, 2010, Honoré handily won the special election to select a successor to the African-American Democratic Representative Avon Honey, who died in office.^[3] In 2011, with 61.5 percent of the low-turnout tabulation, Honoré won reelection in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22. He defeating fellow Democrat Ronald L. Rogers, Jr. (14.4 percent), Republican Barbara Thomas (19.8 percent), and Independent Hillery Godfred Johnson (4.2 percent).^[4]

Representative Honoré is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus and the Democratic Caucus. He serves on these committees: (1) Administration of Criminal Justice, (2) Municipal, Parochial, and Cultural Affairs, and (3) Transportation, Highways, and Public Works.^[2] He formerly served on the Homeland Security Committee.^[4]

Honore's legislative ratings have ranged from 49 to 67 from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. In 2012. the National Federation of Independent Business rated Honoré 33 percent. In both 2013 and 2014, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum scored him 63 percent. In 2013 and 2014, he was rated 75 and 100 percent, respectively, by Louisiana Right to Life. He was rated 92 and 58 percent, respectively, in 2013 and 2014 by the Louisiana Association of Educators.^[5]

In 2014, Honoré voted to require that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics; only five House members opposed the measure. That same year, he voted to extend the time for implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. He voted to forbid the transportation of dogs in open truck beds on interstate highways. He voted to repeal anti-sodomy laws, but the measure failed in the House.^[6]

In 2013, Honoré voted to reduce penalties for the possession of marijuana. He voted to permit lifetime concealed carry gun permits and to use such permits in restaurants that serve alcohol. However, he opposed keeping information on concealed carry permits confidential and out of the public record. He voted to increase judicial pay and to end the mandatory retirement age for judges. He co-sponsored an "equal pay" plan for state employees. In 2012, he co-sponsored legislation to provide for parole eligibility for non-violent inmates. He voted to prohibit the use of telephones while driving but not hand-held devices. He opposed state tax incentives to recruit a National Basketball Association team to Louisiana. He voted to reduce the number of hours that polling locations remain open; Louisiana has traditionally had 14-hour polling days. In 2011, Honoré voted for a permanent tax on cigarettes. That year he also supported parole eligibility for elderly inmates. He opposed the requirement for drug testing of welfare recipients. He voted against the establishment of a commission to develop plan to abolish the state income tax. He opposed the redistricting bill for the Louisiana State Senate; the measure passed, 71-28.^[6]

Honoré did not seek reelection to the House in 2015 and was succeeded by still another African-American Democrat, Barbara West Carpenter, the dean of international relations at Southern University.^[7] Instead Honoré ran for the Louisiana State Senate but lost the primary election on October 24, 2015, to fellow African-American Democrat Regina Barrow for the seat vacated by Sharon Weston Broome.

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