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State Supreme Court hears City of St. George arguments

8 months 1 week 4 days ago Tuesday, January 23 2024 Jan 23, 2024 January 23, 2024 6:41 PM January 23, 2024 in News
Source: WBRZ

NEW ORLEANS - As a show of support for their proposed city, about two dozen would-be St. George residents joined their litigators in court Tuesday.

St. George organizers say their presence gives their cause legitimacy.

"You know who's not here?" asked St. George spokesman Drew Murrell. "Opposition to the City of St. George from anyone who actually lives in the City of St. George because there's not opposition. A lawful election. Fifty-four percent of the electorate voted to approve the City of St. George."

The fate of the city is now in the hands of the Louisiana Supreme Court justices. The eight-year process to incorporate has met several speed bumps including losses in both the 19th JDC and first circuit courts. The judges in those courtrooms agreed with the Baton Rouge leaders argument that the potential city did not have a reasonable plan of government.

"It's kind of like the back of a rental car agreementit's not really even a plan," said Brett Furr, who is representing the city-parish leaders.

According to Furrthat, combined with not disclosing potential financial impacts on Baton Rouge, in turn mislead voters.

"The problem they have is the evidence just doesn't lie. As Judge Coady found, they can't do this. The math doesn't work."

The city-parish leaders say in this case, it's the courts job to override the voters in order to essentially save them from themselves and their proposed city's lack of resources. It's something St. George organizers flat out deny.

"They were informed when they signed the petition," Murrell said. "They were informed in the campaign process and they were informed when they went to the ballot and cast their votes. So how do you tell me now that they didn't know what they were voting for?"

The justices can take as long as they want to come to a decision, but both sides agree they should come to a decision in a couple months.

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