Representative Owen's first term in office is the picture of promises made and promises kept.
He kept his promise to remove barriers to business; by standing for meaningful licensure reform in
Louisiana. His House Bill, 210 in the 2020 Session, provided full license recognition for spouses of
military and Department of Defense personnel who move to Louisiana, ensuring the rapid transition to employment for skilled and licensed workers and professionals when their spouse is assigned to Fort Polk or one of the state's military installations.
In 2021 he expanded this legislation to include spouses of first responders and teachers who move to Louisiana; ensured fair and rapid access to Louisiana's credentialed positions.
He stood for families, students, andLouisiana's education system when he spearheaded the effort to
ensure objective and truthful content standards were adopted for Social Studies throughout the public school system in Louisiana. He was part of an effort that headed off a surreptitious effort to insert Critical Theory and other leftist frameworks into the standards that inform the curriculum in Louisiana's schools.
The standards currently in force are some of the strongest in the nation. They have been given the name “Freedom Framework”, as they emphasize the greatness of America, while simultaneously covering the struggles and pursuit of liberty and equality under the law of all Americans.
Owen proudly helped colleagues who offered up legislation to shore up 2nd Amendment protections in Louisiana. He consistently supported “Constitutional Carry” legislation and co-authored bills to roll back the efforts by some municipalities to curtail the rights of citizens to both own and transport their firearms. Owen maintains a flawless record supporting the 2 nd Amendment.
Representative Owen was a vocal supporter of the “Protecting Women in Sports Act", an important piece of legislation that codified the notion that biological males will NOT be allowed to compete in sports against females in Louisiana. Owen stood strong for Louisiana values at every turn.
He co-authored landmark legislation in the 2022 session which solidified Louisiana as a pro-life state.
When the decision overturning Roe vs Wade was released in the Summer of 2022, Louisiana had laws in place to ensure the protection of the unborn in the state of Louisiana.
He held cable and internet companies accountable in the aftermath of Hurricanes Laura and Delta by
convincing House leadership to hold oversight hearings on the lack of responsiveness to citizens in the days and weeks after the catastrophic storms. The companies were forced to offer plans and
improve responsiveness to citizen needs as a result of these impactful hearings.
Charles Owen co-authored important legislation for military families, including eliminating the tax on
survivor benefit packages for the spouses of servicemen and extending tuition incentives and benefits.
Owen spoke vocally for and sponsored legislation that enhanced the rights of students and groups Louisiana's college campuses to peacefully assemble and protest.
Owen’s House Bill 450 restored the rights of adult adoptees in Louisiana to obtain their original birth
certificate. This bill was one of the most hotly contested in the 2022 legislature, but he persuaded his
colleagues with large majorities in both houses to un-do a wrong and allow grown persons to see the
original document that recorded their birth.
Charles Owen consistently supported reform and reduction in individual and business taxes, including strong support for eliminating the inventory and franchise taxes.
