Jean-Paul Coussan

Jean Paul Philip Coussan
Louisiana State Representative for District 45 (Lafayette Parish)
Incumbent
Assumed office January 11, 2016
Preceded by	Joel Robideaux
Personal details
Born	August 1978 Lafayette, Louisiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jennifer Joy Coussan
Children	George, Claire, and Caroline Coussan
Parents	Dr. George and Jo Ellen Becnel Coussan
Alma mater	St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette Louisiana State University Louisiana State University Law Center
Occupation	Lawyer; Businessman
Religion	Roman Catholic

Jean Paul Philip Coussan, known as Jean-Paul Coussan (born August 1978), is a lawyer and title company executive from Lafayette, Louisiana, who is the District 45 member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. On January 11, 2016, he succeeded Joel Robideaux, who term-limited in the legislature was instead elected to the presidency of the Lafayette Parish government.

Background

Coussan's paternal grandparents were educators. Grandfather G. Louis Coussan was a professor and dean of the College of Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Grandmother Mary B. Coussan taught for the Lafayette Parish School Board. Representative Coussan's father, Dr. George Coussan, was a radiologist and the quarterback for the ULL Ragin' Cajuns; the team played in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl, played in Baton Rouge. His mother, the former Jo Ellen Becnel, is a real estate broker for Van Eaton & Romero in Lafayette. Coussan and his wife, Jennifer Joy, have three children, George, Claire and Caroline. They worship at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Lafayette.

Coussan himself graduated from the Catholic-affiliated St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette and Louisiana State University and the Louisiana State University Law Center, both in Baton Rouge.

Coussan is a partner at Andrus Boudreaux Complete Title, a Lafayette real estate law firm. He co-founded Cougar Constructione. As an attorney, he was formerly affiliated with Ottinger Hebert, LLC, at which he represented clients primarily in the oil and natural gas inudstries. He served for five years on the Cajundome Commission. He has been affiliated too with the Chamber of Commerce, the Acadian Homebuilders Association, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Political life

In the November 21 runoff election, Coussan narrowly defeated fellow Republican Andre' Comeaux, 5,765 votes (51.2 percent) to 5,505 (48.8 percent). The two had emerged as the top candidates in the October 24 primary election in which a third contender, Republican Jan Swift, was eliminated. Upon his election, Coussan said he would focus on the state budget, particularly in reference to higher education and health care. He vowed to promote local infrastructure projects.

In 2016, Representative Coussan joined a bipartisan majority in the House, 76-27, to raise the state sales tax from four to five cents on the dollar for a 27-month period from April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018. The tax hike was part of an even larger package of revenue measures pushed to passage by Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards.

References

Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by Joel Robideaux	Louisiana State Representative for District 45 (Lafayette Parish) Jean Paul Philip Coussan 2016–	Succeeded by Incumbent