Republican Rep. Laurie Schlegel says she never saw herself running for public office. Yet, just a couple of years into her first term in the Lousiana House of Representatives, she is recognized as one of the most effective legislators in the state — possibly the nation — for passing a popular law that protects children from viewing onscreen sex.
In the past, Schlegel’s husband encouraged her to join political races, but she told The Federalist she always “shut it down.” She is a busy mother, counselor, and community member who, until recently, never wanted to run a campaign.
“My husband is a judge here and so I never thought I would also enter into elected office. There was already one in the family, so it just wasn’t something that was on my radar,” Schlegel explained.
When a state House position opened after the Republican representative for Louisiana’s 82nd District abruptly resigned in January 2021, however, Schlegel decided to throw her hat in the ring.
“It just sort of felt right. I had to make a very quick decision. He resigned in January, and the election was going to be in March,” Schlegel said.
She won the seat with nearly 3,000 votes. By May 2021, Schlegel was officially a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. One of her first orders of business was cracking down on the porn industry’s grip on Pelican State children.
For almost a century, judicial precedents and legislative inaction have allowed the most horrifying
