Erich Ponti

Erich Edward Ponti (born 1965) is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 69 in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. He is also a general contractor.

Biography

He is the son of Eugene Oliver Ponti and the former Janice Desroche of Baton Rouge (both born 1935). He is married to the former Amy Leleux (born 1966), and they have a son, Andrew Ponti (born ca. 1990).

Ponti graduated in 1983 from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Political career

Ponti was elected to the House on November 17, 2007, when he defeated fellow Republican William L. "Bill" Benedetto (born 1941), a retired businessman from Baton Rouge, 6,772 votes (63 percent) to 4,059 (37 percent). The position opened when the incumbent representative, Republican Gary Beard of Baton Rouge ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor.

Representative Ponti also holds the District 69 seat on the Republican State Central Committee, having defeated party activist Sally A. Nungesser, 898-407 (69-31 percent), for the position in Louisiana presidential primary held on February 9, 2008.

In his first legislative session, Ponti voted in committee to send a proposed legislative pay raise to the House floor. He then voted in the full chamber against the measure, known as SB 672, which nevertheless passed the House 56-45 on June 13, 2008. Amid a large public protest, Governor Bobby Jindal vetoed the legislation, which would have tripled state legislators' salaries.

In 2008, Ponti joined a large House majority in voting for legislation authorizing the castration of [...] offenders.

Ponti serves on the House Commerce and Government Affairs committees and is vice-chairman of the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. He is rated 100 percent by the Louisiana Right to Life Committee, 81 percent by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, and 75 percent by the Louisiana Family Forum.

In 2010, Ponti failed in an attempt to gain passage of a law requiring new licenses for residential plumbers.