Peppi Bruneau

Who is Peppi Bruneau?

Charles Emile Bruneau, Jr., known as Peppi Bruneau, is an attorney from New Orleans, Louisiana, who represented District 94 in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976 until his retirement in April 2007.

Representative Bruneau wrote landmark sunshine laws to open government meetings and records to the public. He sponsored the controversial law that legalized video poker in the state. He procured passage of another law that clarifies the right of a victim to shoot a carjacker. However, he fought efforts to halt excessive alcohol consumption. He mastered the art of redistricting as a House parliamentarian. Rarely was he seriously challenged in his own Lakeview district. He also pushed without success for both vouchers for families of private school pupils and for merit selection of state court judges.

Bruneau left the legislature with nine months remaining in his eighth term, having even accelerated his original departure date by two weeks. A special election was therefore held to choose his successor. His son, Jeb E. Bruneau, ran unsuccessfully for the seat, having lost a March 31, 2007, runoff to fellow Republican Nicholas Lorusso, a New Orleans attorney. Also in the race in the spring was Democratic activist Deborah Langhoff.