Interview: Rep. Nelson

Hear from Richard Nelson, a Louisiana State Representative elected in 2019, representing Mandeville, LA. In 2022, Rep. Nelson introduced a controversial Louisiana House bill to hold back third graders who had not yet learned to read at level. The bill was inspired by a similar Mississippi bill which targeted fourth graders, which has been credited with helping the state go from 49th in the country to 29th in literacy proficiency levels. 

This conversation examines literacy from a legislative perspective, and the myriad of complexities involved in raising literacy levels, especially with regards to closing the post-COVID gap.  

Rep. Nelson earned a degree in Biological Engineering from LSU before attending LSU Law School. He graduated at the top of his class in both. He was selected for the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and moved to Washington right after graduation. He worked as a Security Engineering Officer and a diplomat overseas before returning to Louisiana. He now owns an engineering and consulting firm in Mandeville, where he lives with his wife and three children. 

Rep. Richard Nelson with 4th graders from Tchefuncte Middle School