SLS 19RS-980 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 116
BY SENATOR JOHN SMITH
SENATE. Commends Phyllis Perron on her retirement after more than 35-year career as an
effective and well-respected lobbyist at the state capitol.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Phyllis Perron on her retirement after more than thirty-five-year career as an
3 effective and well-respected lobbyist at the Louisiana State Capitol.
4 WHEREAS, Phyllis Perron grew up on a farm in a small rural community in
5 Evangeline Parish, outside of Ville Platte, Louisiana, the parish seat; and
6 WHEREAS, on the farm, her family grew cotton, rice, sweet potatoes, and soybeans;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, Ms. Perron grew up competing in 4-H competitions and attending
9 Scared Heart High School, a kindergarten through twelfth grade school, and she graduated
10 in a class of thirty-two students; and
11 WHEREAS, Evangeline Parish in south central Louisiana, is an area noted for its
12 production of political and governmental office holders and its politically active citizenry;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, considering this atmosphere, it was not surprising that Phyllis Perron
15 grew up with a healthy interest in both Evangeline Parish and statewide politics or that her
16 graduation class produced three state legislators, two current sitting judges, and two others
17 who were elected to serve on school boards; and
18 WHEREAS, politics was always both a topic of discussion and an activity in
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1 Evangeline Parish and many fish fries for the assessor, clerk of court, sheriff, and other local
2 politicians were held at Ms. Perron's daddy's camp; and
3 WHEREAS, Phyllis Perron's mother clerked at the polls on election days and Phyllis
4 Perron's uncle was a state legislator; and
5 WHEREAS, Phyllis Perron admits that the political atmosphere of Evangeline Parish
6 was an influence on her growing up, once reflecting that, "I came from an area that was very
7 political … we were just politically active"; and
8 WHEREAS, after high school, Ms. Perron did travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but
9 it was to attend Louisiana State University and the School of Home Economics, where she
10 studied fashion and interior design; and
11 WHEREAS, it was her college major, rather than the political influences she grew
12 up around, that determined Phyllis Perron's first job, which was as a home service
13 representative for Central Louisiana Electric Company (CLECO) and Dixie Electric
14 Membership Company (DEMCO), where she was working with home builders and local
15 chambers of commerce, teaching in high school home economics classes and Girl Scout
16 troops, and chaperoning beauty queens; and
17 WHEREAS, eventually Phyllis Perron's upbringing amid political activism led her
18 to accept the position as executive director of the Louisiana Egg Commission, which led to
19 an appointment to the newly formed governor's office of consumer protection; and
20 WHEREAS, in her position in the governor's office, Phyllis Perron learned
21 invaluable lessons about the legislative process and the rulemaking process; and
22 WHEREAS, in 1977, the Louisiana Association of Life Underwriters was in search
23 of an executive director who could lobby on behalf of the association's three thousand
24 members, and Phyllis Perron was selected and her lobbying career had begun; and
25 WHEREAS, Ms. Perron became interested in representing more than just one entity,
26 thus, in 1984, she formed Phyllis Perron and Associates, which over the course of more than
27 thirty-five years has become a major political and governmental relations and association
28 management firm; and
29 WHEREAS, the firm lobbies legislators, performs regulatory duties on behalf of
30 clients, primarily in the insurance industry, and provides management services to
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1 professional organizations, such as the Louisiana Pharmacists Association; and
2 WHEREAS, Phyllis Perron sees as one of her proudest moments, as an active
3 participant in the legislative process, her work to establish the Louisiana Life and Health
4 Insurance Guaranty Association in 1991, which serves as a safety net for policyholders of
5 an insurer that becomes insolvent; and
6 WHEREAS, over her long career of legislative involvement, Ms. Perron has seen
7 great improvements, including the new ethics laws that regulate the conduct of legislators,
8 in large part, in relation to their conduct with lobbyists, making for more transparency for
9 the public and the technology that has allowed citizens to follow government activities,
10 including events at the legislature; and
11 WHEREAS, Phyllis Perron has observed two changes that she considers to be
12 negative with regard to the legislative process; first, term limits, saying, "We've lost a lot of
13 knowledge and I don't think its been beneficial" and, second, experiencing "the growing
14 divide in Louisiana politics … seeing partisanship come about that I never expected"; and
15 WHEREAS, a commitment to the political process and an inclination to assist in that
16 process to the betterment of the lives of the people of Louisiana have been hallmarks of
17 Phyllis Perron's tenure at the capitol and she has her reputation, her accomplishments, and
18 the building of an effective business to speak to the success of her worthwhile endeavors.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
20 does hereby commend Phyllis Perron on her retirement after a more than thirty-five-year
21 career as an effective and well-respected lobbyist at the Louisiana State Capitol.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
23 Phyllis Perron.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SR 116 Original 2019 Regular Session John Smith
Commends Phyllis Perron on her retirement after a more than 35 year career as an effective
and well-respected lobbyist at the state capitol.
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