(The Center Square) − A bill introduced by Rep. Steven Jackson, D-Bossier, seeks to increase transparency in the state’s Board of Ethics the Supervisory Committee on Campaign Finance Disclosure by mandating the live broadcast and online archiving of meetings.
The bill would amend Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law to require that all public meetings of the ethics board and campaign finance committee be streamed live and archived for at least two years on the Board of Ethics’ website.
While Jackson has framed his bill as a measure to promote transparency and ensure the ethics board operates under the same public access requirements as other state agencies, the legislation comes amid growing tension between the Legislature, the Board of Ethics, and Gov. Landry’s administration.
In the 2024 regular legislative session, a bill was introduced to expand the ethic’s board to from 11 to 15 members, with the governor able to appoint nine members. Previously, the governor could appoint only seven.
Landry has often found himself at odds with the board. In 2023, the board charged Landry with failing to report flights aboard a campaign donor’s private jet to Hawaii for a work conference in his role as Louisiana’s attorney general.
Attorney Stephen Gelé testified before the House committee that the board’s regulatory approach could violate First Amendment protections.
Gelé worries that the board is jumping the gun and coming up with “theories” which place the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act above the First Amendment rights to free speech.
If passed, HB 21 would ensure that the public can monitor the ethics board’s proceedings, potentially giving citizens and lawmakers greater insight into how enforcement decisions are made. The requirement to maintain an online archive of meeting recordings could also provide a long-term record for public scrutiny.
