Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has added new allegations of open meeting law violations to her lawsuit against the Caddo Parish Commission regarding their handling of a special resolution welcoming Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in June. Murrill claims that the ratification vote for this resolution, which occurred in July, was improperly conducted without a voice vote, rendering it invalid.
The situation arose when Sanders received the resolution at an event, despite it not being formally presented or voted on in an open meeting. The lawsuit alleges this violated state open meeting laws, as public comment and voting should occur in publicly accessible meetings. Murrill’s amended complaint highlights improper electronic voting processes during the ratification, arguing they contravened laws requiring votes to be conducted “viva voce” (by voice).
The Commission typically uses electronic voting, which displays results publicly. While the 1980 opinion from the Attorney General’s office supports electronic voting as meeting transparency requirements, there are conflicting opinions on its compliance with “viva voce” standards. Murrill’s amended complaint seeks to declare any resolutions passed without a voice vote during the July 3 meeting null and void. Debate around “special resolutions,” which lack formal definitions or procedures, was also raised during this meeting.
