BATON ROUGE, La. — Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed a complaint in Caddo District Court accusing the Caddo Parish Commission of systematically violating Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law during recent resolutions—most notably, one welcoming Senator Bernie Sanders to Shreveport.
The lawsuit stems from an apparent pattern in which the Commission issued official resolutions without convening a publicly noticed meeting or soliciting input from the community. The complaint challenges the following actions:
- The special resolution welcoming Senator Bernie Sanders, adopted on June 21, was not placed on any public agenda, nor was there an opportunity for public comment
- Two additional resolutions—honoring former Mayor John Hussey and commemorating The Strand Theatre—were similarly adopted on July 2 without proper public process.
In a statement, AG Murrill said,
“I have filed a complaint against the Caddo Parish Commission for its pattern and practice of violating Louisiana Open Meetings Laws. Their 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. The court should issue a declaratory judgment … [and] because this conduct reflects a deliberate, willful, and knowing violation—civil penalties should be assessed against each individual defendant.”
The complaint seeks three main remedies:
- A judicial ruling that the Commission violated the Open Meetings Law.
- An injunction requiring strict compliance with open government statutes.
- Civil penalties against the officials involved, pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statutes § 42:28
Pursuant to the Open Meetings Law, public bodies must notify the public of any meetings at least 24 hours in advance, include agenda items in published notices, and allow for public attendance and comment.