BATON ROUGE - A lawmaker prefiled a bill to name a Pointe Coupee Parish roadway to honor the famous author and Louisiana native Ernest Gaines.

SB104, authored by State Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, would designate the portion of La. Highway 1 through Pointe Coupee is the "Ernest J. Gaines Memorial Highway." 

The bill says La. DOTD would pay for the new signs if the measure is approved. 

The legislative session begins March 9. 

A 400-year-old oak tree is also named after Gaines in Pointe Coupee.