Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill
SHREVEPORT – Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has sued seven Caddo Commission members for allegedly violating the state’s Open Meetings Law regarding a resolution to honor U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Murrill’s office filed the lawsuit August 18 in Caddo District Court against Stormy Gage-Watts, Victor Thomas, Roy Burrell, Ron Cothran, Kenneth Epperson Sr., Gregory Young and Steffon Jones. Commissioner Chris Kracman had filed a complaint with Murrill’s office, which then asked for a response from the commission.
In the lawsuit, Murrill says the defendants “knowingly and willfully deliberated and approved” a resolution honoring Sanders when he visited Shreveport on June 21 as part of his “Fighting Oligarchy Tour.” Murrill seeks an injunction and the assessment of civil penalties against the seven commissioners who signed the resolution.
Murrill’s office says the resolution was prepared outside of a public meeting but was done as an official act of the commission. Then, she says Gage-Watts, Epperson and Thomas met seven days later again outside of a publicly noticed meeting to adopt two more resolutions. Those were to honor former Mayor John Hussey and to commemorate the anniversary of The Strand Theatre.
The AG’s office says no notice was given to the public, which meant the public didn’t have an opportunity to offer comment. That is a violation of the Open Meetings Law, according to the lawsuit.
“These practices have effectively deprived the citizens of Caddo Parish of their right to observe and participate in the deliberations of their elected representatives,” the complaint states.
Murrill said the conduct of the seven commissioners “reflects a pattern and practice” to circumvent the law by deliberating official business outside of publicly noticed meetings, issuing resolutions styled as official acts of the commission without lawful proceedings, failing to provide opportunity for public comment and circumventing the constitutional and statutory mandates of transparency and open government.
The complaint also notes that no meeting minutes, agendas or records exist to reflect any lawful public meeting or vote concerning the resolutions.
“The repeated deliberation and adoption of resolutions outside the public view, without affording the public an opportunity to observe and participate in the decision-making process, evinces a sustained pattern and practice by the defendants to circumvent the requirements of the Open Meetings Law,” the complaint states. “This conduct has caused irreparable harm to the citizens of Caddo Parish by depriving them of their constitutional and statutory right to participate in the formation of public policy. Accordingly, an injunction should issue directing the defendants to strictly comply with all provisions of the Open Meetings Law.”
The AG asks the court to issue a declaratory judgment finding the deliberation and adoption of the three resolutions violated the law.
