Mike Cross (politician)

Michael Aduron "Mike" Cross
Louisiana State Senator from District 13 (East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, and Livingston parishes)
In office 1981 – 1996
Preceded by	Gaston Gerald
Succeeded by	Mike Branch
Mayor of Baker, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
In office 1976 – 1981
Preceded by	Pete Heine
Succeeded by	Pete Heine
Personal details
Born	September 8, 1944 (1944-09-08) (age 67) Baker
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Kristie Cross
Children	Shane Michael Cross Clifton L. Cross Ryan Michael Cross Matthew Aaron Cross Christen Joanna Cross Lauren Adrianne Cross
Residence	Baker, Louisiana
Alma mater	Baker High School University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Occupation	Marketing consultant

Michael Aduron Cross, known as Mike Cross (born September 8, 1944) is an American businessman who served from 1981 to 1996 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 13 (East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, and Livingston parishes) in Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana.^[1] Prior to his legislative service, Cross was from 1976 to 1981 the mayor of Baker in suburban East Baton Rouge Parish. Currently Cross is a lobbyist for CLECO Electric, and the Louisiana Municipal Association.

Cross won a special election in 1981 upon the removal from office of state Senator Gaston Gerald of Greenwell Springs, who was convicted of extortion of $25,000 from a contractor.^[2] Gerald, in his third consecutive Senate term, continued to draw legislative pay when he was imprisoned in a federal installation in Texas. The Senate finally voted 33-3 to expel Gerald.^[3] Cross held the seat for fifteen years until his defeat in 1995 by the Republican Mike Branch, then of Livingston Parish.

Cross was the author of the strongly worded anti-abortion bill vetoed in 1990 by then Governor Buddy Roemer because it provided for penalties without regard to impregnation by rape or incest. The state House overrode Roemer's veto, but the state Senate fell three votes short of the required two-thirds majority to enact the measure over Roemer's objection.^[4]

In 1990, Cross authored a revised anti-narcotics law to add anabolic steroids to a list of illegal substances.^[5] State legislators did not specify penalties for possessing the drugs covered by the law, including opium, methamphetamine, morphine, and codeine. Cross described the failure to include penalties to be an "editing mistake" that the legislature could quickly correct. Police enforced the law pending the clarification on the premise that penalties were implied in the wording.^[5]

Cross won outright in the nonpartisan blanket primary held in the fall of 1987. He drew 59 percent of the ballots over another Democrat and two Republican challengers.^[6] In 1991, Cross was forced into a general election runoff with fellow Democrat, Norman E. "Pete" Heine (pronounced HINEY), Cross' predecessor and successor as mayor of Baker. Cross led with 19,650 votes (45 percent) to Heine's 13,808. (31.8 percent). Two other Democratic candidates shared the remaining 23 percent.^[7] In the second round of balloting, Cross prevailed, 28,234 votes (57.8 percent) to Heine's 20,813 (42.4 percent).^[8] Cross was elected mayor of Baker in 1976, when Heine vacated the position to run unsuccessfully against Baton Rouge Mayor-President W.W. Dumas. Cross won again as mayor of Baker in 1980 but stepped down the next year to enter the state Senate. Heine then succeeded him as mayor and served until 1992.^[9] On October 1, 1988, Cross ran third in a race for the mayor-presidency of East Baton Rouge Parish. Tom Ed McHugh won the position in a general election runoff against Dumas, who was attempting a comeback for a fifth term at the age of seventy-two.^[10]

Cross' defeat in 1995 by the Republican Mike Branch is believed to have been a result of his refusal to switch to the republican party. Cross sponsored an unsuccessful 1992 measure to repeal the Louisiana right-to-work law passed in 1976. In the primary election held on October 21, 1995, Branch polled 23,002 votes (53.5 percent) to Cross' 20,002 (46.5 percent), an exact 3,000-vote margin. Branch's victory was dependent on a 4,000-vote plurality in East Baton Rouge, as he trailed in East Feliciana and Livingston parishes.^[11] Branch was the first Republican to hold the District 13 seat but he left the Senate, and eventually the state, after a single term.

Cross is the son of Audron B. Cross (born ca. 1921) and the former Lulalee McCulloch. He has four sons, Shane Michael Cross (born c. 1969) and Clifton Lance Cross (born c. 1972), Ryan Michael Cross (born c. 1992), and Matthew Aaron Cross (born c.2000). He also has two daughters, Lauren Adrianne Cross (born c. 1994), and Christen Joanna Cross (born c. 1997). He is married to his wife of 18 years Kristie Cross.</ref>^[12] He graduated in 1962 from Baker High School and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He is a marketing consultant^[13] and still resides in the city Baker of which he grew up.^[14]

References

1. ^ "Membership of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2008". house.louisiana.gov. http://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembers1812_2008.pdf. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
2. ^ "Donald L. Beckner and Associates: In the Media". donaldbeckner.com. http://www.donaldbeckner.com/CM/Custom/TOCInTheMedia.asp. Retrieved November 17, 2009. 
3. ^ "Pol in the Pen". Time Magazine, June 8, 1981. June 8, 1981. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922546,00.html. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
4. ^ "Garry Boulard, The Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1990". latimes.com. July 8, 1990. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-07-08/news/mn-327_1_abortions-override-bill. Retrieved October 16, 2009. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Frances Frank Marcus, "A Slight Gap in Louisiana's Anti-Drug Law: No Penalties"". The New York Times, January 25, 1991. January 25, 1991. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/25/news/a-slight-gap-in-louisiana-s-anti-drug-law-no-penalties.html. Retrieved November 17, 2009. 
6. ^ "Louisiana election returns, October 24, 1987". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=102487. Retrieved November 17, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "Louisiana election returns, October 19, 1991". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=101991. Retrieved November 17, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "Louisiana election returns, November 16, 1991". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=111691. Retrieved November 17, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
9. ^ Information verified by Kathleen Stephens, City of Baker, Louisiana: [e-mail]
10. ^ "Louisiana election returns, October 1, 1988". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=10018817. Retrieved November 27, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ "Louisiana election returns, October 21, 1995". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=102195. Retrieved November 2, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
12. ^ People Search and Background Check
13. ^ "Senator Michael A. "Mike" Cross"". senate.legis.state.la.us/senators. http://senate.legis.state.la.us/senators/archives/1995/LinkShell.asp?type=cross. Retrieved November 17, 2009. 
14. ^ Net Detective People Search

Political offices
Preceded by Gaston Gerald	Louisiana State Senator from District 13 (East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, and Livingston parishes) Michael Aduron "Mike" Cross 1981–1996	Succeeded by Mike Branch
Political offices
Preceded by Pete Heine	Mayor of Baker, Louisiana Michael Aduron "Mike" Cross 1976–1981	Succeeded by Pete Heine

Persondata
Name	Cross, Mike
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 8, 1944
Place of birth	Baker
Date of death
Place of death