{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Josh Carlson | state_house = Louisiana | district = 43rd | term_start = January 8, 2024 | predecessor = [[Stuart Bishop]] | successor = | birth_date = | birth_place = | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | education = [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]]) }}
'''Josh Carlson''' is an American politician serving in the [[Louisiana House of Representatives]] from the 43rd district. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], Carlson has been in office since January 8, 2024. His current term ends on January 10, 2028.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Josh Carlson |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Josh_Carlson |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Carlson attended [[Lafayette High School (Louisiana)|Lafayette High School]] and obtained a BS in Business Administration from the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Louisiana House of Representatives 24-28 |url=https://house.louisiana.gov/h_reps/members?ID=43 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=house.louisiana.gov}}</ref> For ten years, Carlson volunteered as a youth pastor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-09 |title=Meet the Candidates: Lafayette Parish Council District 3 |url=https://www.katc.com/meet-the-candidates-lafayette-parish-council-district-3#google_vignette |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=KATC News |language=en}}</ref> Carlson's father, Gerald Carlson, was the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obituary information for Gerald Paul Carlson, Ph.D. |url=https://www.mourning.com/obituaries/Gerald-Paul-Carlson-PhD?obId=31820655 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=www.mourning.com}}</ref>
==Career== On November 19, 2019, Carlson was elected to the [[Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|Lafayette Parish]] Council, representing District 3.<ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Ashley |date=2019-11-16 |title=Election 2019: See who won Lafayette's last parish council seat |url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2019/11/16/lafayette-parish-council-results-jeremy-hidalgo-josh-carlson-who-won/2564881001/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |newspaper=The Daily Advertiser |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2021, Carlson nominated Robert Judge to the [[Lafayette Public Library]] Board from a group of seven candidates, including educators. Judge had previously opposed a [[Drag Queen Story Hour|drag queen storytime]] event in 2018. Subsequently, residents filed a lawsuit against Carlson and other council members, claiming they violated open meetings law by discussing Judge's appointment privately before the council meeting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-12 |title=Residents sue Lafayette Parish Council over alleged ‘walking quorum,’ violating Open Meetings Law |url=https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/residents-sue-lafayette-parish-council-over-alleged-walking-quorum-violating-open-meetings-law |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=KATC News |language=en}}</ref> However, a judge ruled that the residents did not meet the burden of proof.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Capps |first=Andrew |title=Judge rules library appointment was not an open meetings law violation |url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2021/06/02/lafayette-parish-councilmen-library-open-meeting-law-not-violation/5289046001/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=The Daily Advertiser |language=en-US}}</ref>
During his time on the board, Judge had an LGBTQ+ advocate arrested for speaking out of turn and removed an [[Censorship|anti-censorship]] speaker with armed officers, leading to a federal lawsuit for [[Freedom of speech|free speech]] violations. The lawsuit was settled in July 2025 for $13,200 to the plaintiffs, but defense costs exceeded $100,000 in taxpayer funds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Claire |date=2025-07-15 |title=Lafayette Public Library board votes to settle federal free speech lawsuit |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/lafayette-library-board-votes-to-settle-free-speech-lawsuit/article_b845efaf-dc38-4bf4-b415-9e60726f8a25.html |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref> Judge also attempted to terminate a library manager without proper notice, halted plans for a Northeast Regional Library in favor of leasing space, and sought to change the library's mission statement to remove "recreation and cultural enrichment" programs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Claire |date=2023-08-29 |title=Lafayette library board president Robert Judge relinquishes leadership role |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/robert-judge-steps-down-as-lafayette-library-board-president/article_76cace86-46ce-11ee-a175-cf9eb7ba69c4.html |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref> In December 2025, Judge filed a lawsuit against Parish Councilman AB Rubin and the Lafayette Consolidated Government, alleging defamation and violations of the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]. The suit arose from a February 2025 board meeting where Judge attempted to delay construction of a library branch in a predominantly Black, low-income community. Rubin publicly declared Judge "a cancer" and stated he had been "trying to get rid of you since day one." Judge alleges Rubin's removal efforts were driven by [[religious discrimination]] and hostility toward his Catholic faith.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Claire |date=2026-02-05 |title=Former library board member sues LCG, councilman, alleging defamation, First Amendment violation |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/courts/former-library-board-member-sues-lcg-councilman-alleging-defamation-first-amendment-violation/article_aac52041-fbce-4ae3-aed0-2a4c705ed3dc.html |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref>
On October 14, 2023, Carlson was elected to represent Louisiana District 43, receiving 84% of the votes (9,342), while Ludwig Gelobter garnered 16% (1,770).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-10-14 |title=Josh Carlson handily elected to House of Representatives in District 43 race |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/politics/elections/josh-carlson-elected-house-district-43-representative/article_25015df4-6933-11ee-8b05-ef4745cdd877.html |newspaper=The Acadiana Advocate |access-date=2024-02-17 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Josh Carlson |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Josh_Carlson |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>
In 2024, Carlson introduced House Bill 414, which aimed to eliminate exceptions for public libraries from the state law on obscenity.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Piper |date=2024-05-01 |title=Louisiana House committee shelves bills targeting libraries |url=https://lailluminator.com/2024/05/01/louisiana-house-committee-shelves-bills-targeting-libraries/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |work=Louisiana Illuminator |language=en-US}}</ref> This bill died in committee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HB414 |url=https://legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?i=246104 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=legis.la.gov}}</ref> Carlson also introduced House Bill 974, which proposed removing the requirement for directors of parish library systems to obtain state certification. This certification requires librarians to pass an exam and hold a master's degree in library science.
The search for a new director for the Lafayette Public Library triggered the push for House Bill 974. The library board, led by then-president Robert Judge, had unlawfully terminated the previous director, Danny Gillane, due to a contentious relationship with some board members. Judge claimed that the board felt that Gillane was undermining them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Claire |date=2023-08-21 |title=Lafayette Parish Library Director Danny Gillane fired by board |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/lafayette-parish-library-board-fires-director-danny-gillane/article_2ea3b68e-4095-11ee-96c2-3fafc0de86a6.html |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref> They later rescinded the termination, allowing him to resign, and subsequently hired him as interim director while they looked for a permanent replacement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Piper |date=2024-05-28 |title=Louisiana senators revive at-will dismissal of library board members • Louisiana Illuminator |url=https://lailluminator.com/2024/05/28/louisiana-senators-revive-at-will-dismissal-of-library-board-members/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Louisiana Illuminator |language=en-US}}</ref> In August 2024, the board voted unanimously to rehire Gillane as director.<ref name=":0" />
House Bill 974 served as a substitute for House Bill 168, which stalled in the House Municipal, Parochial, and Cultural Affairs Committee. The updated version of the bill was referred to the House Education Committee by Representative [[Bryan Fontenot]] and was passed successfully.<ref>{{Cite web |last=House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs |date=2024-03-28 |title=Minutes of Meeting 2024 Regular Session |url=https://house.louisiana.gov/H_CmteRecordRolCallVotes/Minutes/2024/MPC%20MINUTES%20032824.pdf |website=Louisiana House of Representatives}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Piper |date=2024-04-30 |title=Louisiana House OKs bill to allow parishes to hire library directors without state certification |url=https://lailluminator.com/briefs/library-director/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |work=Louisiana Illuminator |language=en-US}}</ref>
Carlson opposed House Bill 98, introduced by Representative [[Mandie Landry]], which aimed to remove the language from the Louisiana Constitution that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Carlson argued that the proposed constitutional amendment "tramples on the religious values that have been upheld and are valued by a majority of the state of Louisiana."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Friedmann |first=Meghan |date=2024-04-12 |title=Bill aimed at protecting same-sex marriage in Louisiana dies in committee |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/bill-aimed-at-protecting-same-sex-marriage-in-louisiana-dies-in-committee/article_79867715-f0d2-5955-a053-4a9c8a5dba0a.html?fbclid=IwAR3DP43yR_6Uju5TLTWP0VCLoN6MDld2A0QC7NibUqTGLpk9b_EH6gsTUk0#tncms-source=aca-the-latest |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref>
Carlson introduced Act 476, which was signed into law. It prohibits a person from mailing or delivering multiple absentee ballots for non-family members. Disability Rights Louisiana, an organization advocating for individuals with disabilities, filed a lawsuit under the federal [[Voting Rights Act of 1965|Voting Rights Act]] against the law.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muller |first=Wesley |date=2024-07-12 |title=Disability advocate files federal lawsuit over Louisiana’s new absentee ballot laws • Louisiana Illuminator |url=https://lailluminator.com/2024/07/12/disability-advocate-files-federal-lawsuit-over-louisianas-new-absentee-ballot-laws/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Louisiana Illuminator |language=en-US}}</ref>
House Bill 466, introduced by Rep. Carlson, provides salary increases for Louisiana teachers and school support staff. The bill proposes raising teacher salaries by $2,000 and support staff salaries by $1,000, funded by savings from eliminating three education trust funds to pay down teacher retirement system debts. After passing both legislative chambers unanimously, it was enacted as Act No. 366 on June 20, 2025. The law mandates permanent salary increases, requiring school systems to use savings generated by the state’s payments toward unfunded liabilities in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana. Full implementation remains contingent upon voter approval of a related constitutional amendment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-24 |title=New push for teacher pay increases clears House Committee |url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/national/seo-url-house-bill-466-teacher-pay-increase-debate/289-a729c6ca-01e7-4a3d-8049-e34f94f03818 |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=wwltv.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Louisiana HB466 |url=https://trackbill.com/bill/louisiana-house-bill-466-teachers-salary-requires-school-systems-to-provide-a-salary-increase-for-teachers-and-other-school-employees-using-savings-attributable-to-the-states-payment-of-certain-unfunded-accrued-liability-of-the-teachers-retirement-system-of-louisiana/2713114/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=trackbill.com |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://house.louisiana.gov/h_reps/members?ID=43 Official House Profile] *{{Ballotpedia|Josh_Carlson}}
{{Louisiana House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlson, Josh}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Republican Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives]] [[Category:University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:21st-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature]]