Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL — Paul Hollis feels like he is at the starting gate to a four year race.
Hollis was elected in October to become the District 104 state representative to the Louisiana Legislature, and is already off-and-running to serve for the first time in political office.Not that he doesn’t have some idea of what to expect, however, since his father was well known statewide as a Louisiana Senator. Ken Hollis served as a New Orleans area state rep before passing away in 2010 from cancer, but not before making a huge impact on his son. “My dad took me to the Senate chambers when I was a teen and it had a huge impact on me,” Hollis said. “I knew 15 years ago that I wanted to serve in public office.”

Hollis, 39, is a rare coins collector by trade and has been successful in that business, allowing him the freedom to serve as a state representative. “This is supposed to be a part-time job, but I know it can easily take up enough hours to be full-time, if you let it,” he said. “I want to serve as the front line connection for citizens to know they have a link to state government, and get help for the things they need. I want to be very responsive to my constituents when they contact me with problems or issues.” Hollis said he was affected so much by what he saw his father do that he wants to be the same kind of state lawmaker. “I was always so proud of my dad since I think he made a very positive impact on the world,” he said. “I see political service as a very honorable thing—to serve your fellow man.” Hollis has a political science degree, but said he got interested in collecting rare coins when he was young, after his grandmother gave him a Great Depression Peace Dollar coin that was made in 1923.

After graduating from LSU, he went to work for Blanchard & Company, a rare coins dealer, before stepping out with his own coin company in 2003, Paul Hollis Rare Coins. “When I got an interview with Blanchard & Company, I was told to be there at 6 a.m. for the job interview. I figured it was their way to weed out the bad employees since they must have thought that anyone who would show up in a suit at 6 a.m. must be willing to work,” he said. Hollis said he was asked “how much do you know about rare coins?” His response was “add up everything all your employees know and I probably know more than all of them.” He said the response was a bit of a joke, but not far off the truth since he had studied coins extensively since starting his own collection as a child.
He wants to bring the passion he has for rare coins into the state rep position, and still believes that public office can be seen in a positive light. “I know the bad politicians get the attention and headlines, but I believe there are so many more good people serving, even if they don’t get the attention,” he explained.

When he decided to run this past season, he said it was quickly confirmed that public office was right for him.
“I found that I loved being on the campaign trail, talking to people and giving them answers on issues,” he said. “I knew very quickly that I had the proper DNA to campaign.” While he admits he is still in the learning stage as a state lawmaker, he is adamant about government allowing business to do what it does best. “The number one issue to me is less government and no new taxes. Government needs to get out of the way and allow business to operate,” he said. “There are too many tedious regulations. I believe in the free enterprise system.” He has already met with other members of the St. Tammany state delegation and will be a part of a weekend retreat with all of them on January 20. “I still want to get the lay of the land, but ultimately, our job should be to make Louisiana as business friendly as possible,” he said. “This is a tough economy so we want to provide a framework so business can be successful.”

Hollis said he still starts each day having to pinch himself to realize he is now a state representative, like his father was.
“I think about it a lot,” he said. “And I still get a kick out of knowing I’m about to go to Baton Rouge as a state lawmaker when I’m just a normal guy like everyone else.”Hollis is married with an 8-year-old daughter.

January 6, 2012                  By John Maginnis

Hollis Follows Father to Legislature

   From when he was boy standing in the back of the Senate chamber, Paul Hollis knew he wanted to be a legislator like his father, late Sen. Ken Hollis.

Redistricting gave him the opportunity in the new St. Tammany Parish seat, District 104. “The second I found out about it I started running as hard as I could,” he said, eventually lending his campaign $180,000 and raising $61,000 more.

He won by beating fellow Republican Chris Trahan in the primary, 56-44 percent. The race was amiable (“At debates, I was clapping for the man,” he said) until Trahan attacked his position on the income tax repeal bill. Hollis said he supported an amendment by Sen. Jack Donahue to offset the repeal with specified spending cuts.

Hollis, 41, brings to public service a keen knowledge of money, the real thing, as a dealer in rare coins. His grandmother’s gift to him when he was 6 of a coin from the Depression was a “defining moment,” which led to his career after graduating from LSU. As part of the state’s bicentennial celebration later this year, he has arranged to borrow rare coins worth over $1 million to be displayed in the Old State Capitol.

As for committee assignments, he said, “I didn’t recognize how competitive it would be to be on Appropriations.” But he believes “a numbers guy like me” would be useful on Insurance or Retirement.

As you probably heard last night, we won with 56 percent of the vote!

I cannot thank you all enough for the support, encouragement and prayers that sustained me and our team during this difficult process. Taking on this challenge was about more than just winning; it has been my lifelong desire to serve Louisiana in elected office, and I am so humbled by the support of the voters.

To say I’m excited at this outcome would be an understatement. I’m thankful to God, to my family, and to all who believed in me – a political unknown with a deep desire to serve the people. I look forward to the coming weeks of transition and to beginning my work for the people of District 104.

As always, I am accessible to you. Your ideas, opinions and concerns matter to me, and I hope you will always feel free to reach out and let me know what’s on your mind. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we move forward into the next Legislature and begin tackling the hefty issues that face our great state.

Sincerely,
Paul

Lacombe, LA – Citing common views on job creation and business development, SOUTHPAC, one of the four political action arms of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) yesterday announced its support for Paul Hollis in his race for State Representative, District 104. Following this important endorsement, Paul Hollis issued the following statements:

“It is an honor to receive the strong support and endorsement of SOUTHPAC in the final weeks of my campaign for State Representative.

“As a small business owner, I see the impact the struggling economy has had on families in our state. We need to bring new jobs to Louisiana and keep the ones we have. As District 104′s next State Representative, I will work tirelessly in Baton Rouge to foster a pro-business, pro-jobs environment by reducing burdensome regulations and lowering taxes on both businesses and families.

“With the help of key pro-business organizations like the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, we can get Louisiana working again.”

SOUTHPAC is one of four geographically situated political action committees that serve as the political action arm of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). They help elect conservative, pro-business candidates for legislative and other state offices.

For more information on Paul Hollis, visit www.PaulHollis.com, Facebook.com/ElectPaulHollis, or Twitter @VotePaulHollis.

House District 104 candidate Paul Hollis said the decision by the state Senate to order further study before initiating a phase-out of income taxes is a wise course, and the House should follow suit.

On Tuesday, the Senate passed SB 259, an instrument that would phase-out the state income tax on both individuals and corporations over a 10-year period, but not before adopting an amendment by Sen. Jack Donahue (R-Mandeville) that ensures spending will be trimmed to offset the lost revenue.

“I’m absolutely in favor of lowering the tax burden on Louisiana’s families and businesses,” said Hollis. “But to ensure our citizens get the essential services for which they’re already paying, we must guarantee spending will be cut appropriately to offset the change in the state revenue.”

Hollis said eliminating the income tax will stimulate job growth, the single-biggest issue facing Louisiana’s families, but should not be done at the expense of education, healthcare, flood protection and infrastructure funding, which are also essential.

“Louisianans have a reasonable expectation that both local public schools and universities will continue being funded,” he said. “We have a reasonable expectation that our healthcare system will continue functioning. And we have a reasonable expectation that state roads and highways will be improved – an expectation in which the state has consistently failed. We must cut taxes to stimulate job-growth, but we must also ensure that basic needs are being met.”

The House of Representatives will now consider the repeal, and Hollis said that Chamber should pass the bill but keep the Donahue Amendment intact.

“Next year, I will fight to pass this legislation with commensurate cuts in spending,” Hollis said. “The tax-cutting movement must move forward, and the tax-and-spend habits of state government must be curtailed.”