Carl Gunter Jr.
Carl Newton Gunter Jr., was a Democratic member of the Louisiana [House of Representatives] from 1972 to 1992.
Gunter was born in Alexandria, to Carl N. "Euddie" Gunter Sr., and Gladys Slay Gunter Richardson His paternal grandparents were John Gunter and Mary Hooper Gunter. His maternal grandparents were Charles O. "Buck" Slay Sr. , and the former Louella Sullivan.
Early years
Gunter was the oldest of five children. His siblings are John O. Gunter, Travis Gunter, and a sister, Gladys Mae Gunter Norris. The other brother, Elton Wayne Gunter, died from a childhood illness.In 1957, Gunter married his high school sweetheart, the former Jessie Paulk, and they had six children. Carl N. Gunter, III, Rhonda Doreen Gunter, Melody Gunter Slocum, Penny Gunter Rosier, Fancy Gunter Manton, and Ryan Travis Gunter. At the time of his death, Gunter had thirteen grandchildren.
Gunter worked as an offshore roustabout and opened a business called Pineville Motor Parts.
As state representative
In 1991, Louisiana State Senator Allen Ray Bares of Lafayette sponsored a bill to outlaw most abortions in Louisiana. The National Organization for Women's national secretary, Kim Gandy, originally from Bossier City, directed a nine-month-long "grassroots organizing and recruiting effort" against the bill. In a debate over the bill's provision regarding incest, Gunter stated that "That's how we get thoroughbred race horses." Gunter's advocates argue that he was asserting that fetuses conceived within an incestuous relationship should also have a right to life. The comparison with race horses, however, was used against him by his opponents.Gunter already had a longtime contentious relationship with the local press. Former colleague Claude "Buddy" Leach of Leesville, who delivered Gunter's eulogy, told how Gunter once threatened Governor Edwin Washington Edwards into removing businessman Joe D. Smith Jr., then publisher of the local newspaper, The [Town Talk (Alexandria)|Alexandria Daily Town Talk] from the LSU Board of Supervisors.
The result of it all was that both Gunter and Bares were defeated.
The Feminist Majority Foundation wrote in the 1991 edition of Feminist Chronicles that the defeats of Bares and Gunter were "among the sweetest victories" of the year. Gunter's choice of words will always be the subject of speculation and Louisiana political lore.