2023 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 97
BY SENATORS CORTEZ, ABRAHAM, BARROW, BERNARD, BOUDREAUX,
BOUIE, CARTER, CATHEY, CLOUD, CONNICK, DUPLESSIS, FESI,
FIELDS, FOIL, HARRIS, HENRY, HENSGENS, HEWITT, JACKSON,
KLEINPETER, LAMBERT, LUNEAU, MCMATH, MILLIGAN, FRED
MILLS, ROBERT MILLS, MIZELL, MORRIS, PEACOCK, POPE,
PRICE, REESE, SMITH, STINE, TALBOT, TARVER, WHITE AND
WOMACK
A RESOLUTION
To commend the Honorable R.L. "Bret" Allain II for his years of distinguished public
service in the Legislature of Louisiana and to express enduring gratitude for his
exemplary contributions made on behalf of his constituents in the parishes of Iberia,
Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne and the state of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, Senator Allain is a native son of the Bayou Region, born and raised
along the Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish; and
WHEREAS, he began working at the young age of thirteen in the sugarcane fields
his family has owned for six generations; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from St. Joseph's High School, Senator Allain attended
Louisiana State University where he studied agronomy, business, and history and graduated
from the agricultural engineering program; and
WHEREAS, he returned to St. Mary Parish to work with his father and uncle, and
in 1990 assumed the responsibility of running the family farm; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain's keen business acumen led him to expand his land
companies into the oil and gas industry; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain currently serves as President of St. Mary Sugar
Cooperative, a sugar mill his grandfather helped create, Adeline Planting Company,
Allain-LeBreton Land Company, Allain Land Company, and Charenton Crawfish Farms,
and he serves on the board of directors of Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain's professional, civic, and personal interests find him
holding affiliations with the St. Mary Industrial Group, Bayou Industrial Group, South
Central Industrial Association, Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, St. Mary Chamber of
Commerce, Houma/Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Bayou Bend Health System Board
of Commissioners, serving as chairman, American Sugar Cane League Board of Directors,
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and the Krewe of Sucrose, serving as King Sucrose LXXX in 2020; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain is a proud member of the Coastal Conservation
Association of Louisiana (CCA) and was chosen as a Legislative Champion and inducted
into the CCA of Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain is guided by his strong faith and is an active member of
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Jeanerette; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain began his public service in 1999 when he accepted an
appointment by Governor Mike Foster to the Louisiana State Mineral Board followed by
appointments to the Louisiana Agriculture Finance Authority, serving as its vice chairman,
and the I-49 South Feasibility and Funding Task Force; and
WHEREAS, the voters of Senate District 21 placed their trust in Senator Allain in
2012 and he was reelected without opposition to two successive terms in 2015 and 2019; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, he served with great diligence on the Senate
Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, serving as chairman, Senate Committee on
Finance, serving as vice chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture,
and Rural Development, serving as vice chairman, Senate Select Committee on Coastal
Restoration and Flood Control, serving as chairman, Senate Committee on Natural
Resources, Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, Senate Committee on Senate and
Governmental Affairs, Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and
International Affairs, Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay, Joint Legislative
Committee on the Budget, and the State Bond Commission; and
WHEREAS, his lifelong experience as a farmer and businessman heavily influenced
his tenure in the legislature and his colleagues relied on him as an authority on all
agricultural policy issues affecting the state; and
WHEREAS, an avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Senator Allain has been a
knowledgeable advocate on policies affecting coastal Louisiana, working tirelessly to secure
funding to protect and restore our coastal wetlands, and authoring notable legislation on
oilfield site restoration and the management of orphaned oil and gas wells; and
WHEREAS, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs,
Senator Allain spearheaded monumental tax reforms vital to growing Louisiana's economy,
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including eliminating the federal income tax deduction and using the savings to lower
individual and corporate income tax rates, lowering the corporate franchise tax, state and
local tax administration reforms, and improving Louisiana's scorecard from national tax
policy nonprofit groups such as the Council on State Taxation and the Tax Foundation; and
WHEREAS, he takes particular pride in his work to simplify Louisiana's tax code for
citizens and businesses in a revenue neutral manner, providing stability to revenue
projections for the state and predictability for companies looking to make investments; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain is a master of the capital outlay process, implementing
important reforms and successfully acquiring funding for critical infrastructure projects that
affect his district and the entire state of Louisiana, including lasting improvements to aging
water, sewer, and drainage systems, healthcare facilities, colleges and universities, coastal
erosion and flood control projects, and transportation and highway projects; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain intentionally worked to hear all sides of an argument,
to treat all stakeholders with respect, to build relationships with his fellow legislators,
statewide elected officials, and everyone involved in the legislative process, and to work
across party lines to accomplish goals to benefit the people of his district and the state; and
WHEREAS, after his faith, nothing is more important to Senator Allain than the
enduring love and support of his precious family, his wife of thirty-nine years, Kimberly
McElveen Allain, their three children, Dr. Quin Allain Bixler (Harrison), Emma Allain, and
Robert Allain III (Morgan), and five grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain and Kim are affectionately known as "Granddaddy" and
"Sugar" to their precious "Sugar Cubes" – Flora, Marshall, Ann Reuel, Olivia, and Noelle;
and
WHEREAS, known by his colleagues and Senate staff for his generous hospitality,
he often opened his home for gatherings, and along with Kim, always made sure that visitors
were welcomed warmly; and
WHEREAS, guests eagerly anticipate his annual cochon-de-lait in the spring and
often inquire about his coveted old-fashioned recipe; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain has worn the mantle of public service for three
productive terms as senator and now looks forward to returning home to his "bride" and their
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family; and
WHEREAS, Senator Allain has earned the respect of his peers and the unceasing
gratitude of the citizens of the state of Louisiana, in particular, the people of Senate District
21 and the Bayou Region, who have been enriched immeasurably by his good works.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend the Honorable R.L. "Bret" Allain II, extending honor and recognition
to him for his outstanding tenure, which has been marked by his tireless efforts to improve
the welfare of his constituents and the citizens of the state of Louisiana, and does hereby pay
tribute to him for his stellar achievements as a member of this distinguished body.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does
hereby extend best wishes to our friend and colleague for continued prosperity and success
in all his future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Honorable R.L. "Bret" Allain II of Louisiana Senatorial District 21.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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