Neil Riser
Hartwell Neil Riser Jr. (born April 25, 1962) is an American politician. He serves as a Republican member for the 20th district of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He previously served as a member for the 32nd district of the Louisiana State Senate.
Neil Riser | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Steven Pylant |
| Member of the Louisiana State Senate from the 32nd district | |
| In office 2007 – January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Noble Ellington |
| Succeeded by | Glen Womack |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hartwell Neil Riser Jr. April 25, 1962 Columbia, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Party | Republican[1] |
| Spouse | Vicki Riser[2] |
| Children | 2[2] |
| Alma mater | University of Louisiana at Monroe |
Hartwell Neil Riser Jr. (born April 25, 1962)[2] is an American politician.[3][4][5] He serves as a Republican member for the 20th district of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He previously served as a member for the 32nd district of the Louisiana State Senate.[6]
Early life and career
[edit]Riser was born in Columbia, LouisianaColumbia, Louisiana.,[2] and graduated from Caldwell Parish High School in 1980. He earned a B.A. in business management from Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe) in 1984 and is the owner of Riser Funeral Home. He joined the family funeral business in 1985 after the death of his father, H. Neil Riser Sr.[7][8][9][6]
In 2007, Riser was elected to represent the 32nd district of the Louisiana State Senate, succeeding Noble Ellington. In 2020, he was succeeded by Glen Womack. In the same year, he was elected to represent the 20th district of the Louisiana House of Representatives, succeeding Steven Pylant. He assumed office on January 13, 2020.[6]
Louisiana State Senate
[edit]Riser represented the 32nd district in the Louisiana State Senate from 2008 to January 2020, succeeding Noble Ellington and later succeeded by Glen Womack. During his tenure he chaired the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs and served on the State Bond Commission.[10][11][12]
Louisiana House of Representatives
[edit]Riser has represented House District 20 since January 13, 2020, succeeding Steven Pylant. The district includes parts of Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, LaSalle and Ouachita parishes. In the 2024–2028 term, his committee assignments include Commerce; Natural Resources and Environment; and the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. He is a member of the Central Louisiana Delegation, the Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation, and the Louisiana Rural Caucus.[7]
Elections
[edit]2013 U.S. House special (LA-5)
[edit]Riser advanced to the November 16, 2013 runoff but lost to Republican businessman Vance McAllister in an upset widely covered by national outlets.[13][14]
2017 State Treasurer (special)
[edit]Riser ran in the October 14, 2017 primary and finished fourth with about 18% of the vote; Republican John Schroder and Democrat Derrick Edwards advanced to the runoff, which Schroder won on November 18, 2017.[15][16]
2019 Louisiana House District 20
[edit]Riser defeated Kevin Bates in the November 16, 2019 general election, 50.8% to 49.2%.[17]
2023 Louisiana House District 20
[edit]He won re-election outright in the October 14, 2023 primary with 57.2% of the vote against Kevin Bates; the general election was canceled under Louisiana’s majority-vote system.[18]
Legislation
[edit]In 2024, Riser authored House Bill 684 (Act 443), which re-established a regulated black bear hunting season and created related license and lottery provisions; the measure was signed by the governor with an effective date of August 1, 2024.[19][20]
References
[edit]- ^ Maxwell, Steven (December 12, 2016). "Senator Neil Riser to run for La. State Treasurer". KALB-TV. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Neil Riser's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ Ballard, Mark (February 16, 2017). "State Sen. Neil Riser running for state treasurer, vows to be 'watchdog'". The Advocate. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ O'Donoghue, Julia (February 16, 2017). "Neil Riser, north Louisiana senator, joins state treasurer's race". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ "Neil Riser announces run for District 20 House seat". The News-Star. April 30, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Neil Riser". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "State Representative Neil Riser — District 20". Louisiana House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Who We Are". Riser Funeral Homes. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "2018 Redistricting Participant Bios — Sen. Neil Riser". LSU Manship School. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Committee — membership (2012–2013; 2015)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Senate Journal — May 25, 2016 (Report by Sen. Neil Riser, Chairman, Revenue & Fiscal Affairs)" (PDF). Louisiana State Senate. May 25, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Riser announces run for treasurer; notes prior roles". The Monroe News-Star. February 16, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Republican businessman McAllister wins U.S. House race in Louisiana". Reuters. November 16, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "McAllister wins Louisiana special election". The Washington Post. November 17, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "La. treasurer's race heads to runoff". Houma Today. October 15, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Schroder wins Louisiana treasurer race". Associated Press. November 18, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "General election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 20 (2019)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House District 20 (2023)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "HB 684 — Enrolled (Act 443, 2024)". Louisiana Legislature. 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "LDWF: Legislator passes HB 684 re-establishing black bear season". Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. June 20, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2025.