From annexations to lawsuits to alleged forged signatures, here’s a look at how the fight over this volatile issue has played out now that St. George supporters have submitted their final batch of signatures to the Registrar’s Office.
April 2013
An effort to create a new school district in southeast Baton Rouge, with the support of the Local Schools for Local Children organization, clears the state Senate Education Committee, resuscitating a 2012 battle for the new school district that was approved by the Senate but died in the House.
May 2013
State Senate and House approve the legislation, but it does not get the 70 votes needed to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot, essentially approving the breakaway district without any legislation to help fund it.
June 2013
Local Schools for Local Children hosts a forum following the legislative letdown that floats the idea of financing the new school district by forming a new city (though the topic has come up before). Supporters displayed a map of the potential city at the forum.
September 2013
Supporters begin campaigning for signatures, officially announcing plans to put the formation of St. George up for a vote.
December 2013
• Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Baton Rouge Area Foundation release a report on the potentially negative economic impacts of the proposed new municipality, including stripping as much as $53 million from the general fund of Baton Rouge. The report also says the new city would face a budget deficit of $9 million at its start.
• National news services like Raw Story, USA Today and Huffington Post pick up on the St. George debate, framing the story as a wealthy, white area of Baton Rouge wanting to secede from the poorer, African American areas of the city.
January 2014
St. George supporters respond to the BRAC/BRAF report, claiming the new city will instead have a budget surplus of $10-$15 million, which would mean no tax hikes for residents of the proposed municipality.
April 2014
The Metro Council approves a measure that annexes Celtic Media Centre, Costco and SAIF Credit Union into Baton Rouge at the request of those businesses.
May 2014
The Mall of Louisiana and properties owned by Baton Rouge General Hospital and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center follow suit.
June 2014
• After a request for his opinion, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says these annexations—essentially changing the boundary lines of the proposed St. George—would not affect the validity of the ongoing petition drive.
• Woody Jenkins files a lawsuit challenging the mall annexation because only parts of the mall were annexed. The suit is later tossed on the grounds that Jenkins didn’t have standing to challenge annexation.
July 2014
• After months of silence, St. George supporters say they’ve collected about 17,000 with hopes of gathering more to get on the December ballot.
• Several property owners along the Mississippi River petition to be annexed into Baton Rouge.
• PBS Frontline airs a documentary, “Separated and Unequal,” that frames the effort as one motivated by race and class. St. George leaders call it an “inaccurate portrayal.”
October 2014
• Supporters of St. George submit about 18,200 signatures to the Registrar—more than the total needed to reflect 25% of registered voters in the proposed city limits—aiming at a March 2015 election.
• L’Auberge Casino & Hotel asks to be annexed into Baton Rouge. At this point, about five square miles have been annexed away from the proposed St. George.
March 2015
The Registrar validates only 15,165 signatures—2,694 signatures short of the 17,859 needed to bring the measure to a vote. State law, however, gives organizers 60 days to collect more signatures. The additional signatures are due May 28 (after 225’s June issue has gone to press).
April 2015
District Attorney Hillar Moore III launches an investigation into alleged signature forgeries after several residents claim their names were used without their consent. St. George organizers say they hired some out-of-state professional petition circulators who may have been responsible.
May 2015
• St. George supporters issue a new report showing the proposed city would have an annual budget surplus of $11.4 million. But opponents say those budget numbers erroneously include sales tax revenue from industrial corridors, Towne Center and other areas that are not incorporated into Baton Rouge or St. George and, therefore, would not provide revenues to the proposed city.
• The St. George petition drive comes to an end May 27, with supporters delivering 4,630 new signatures to the Registrar, which is more than the 2,700 needed to fill the hole of signatures the Registrar invalidated. Better Together, the group campaigning against St. George, delivered 810 signatures of residents who wished to withdraw their names from the petition for the proposed city.
• The group can continue submitted withdrawals until the Registrar finishes validating new signatures, but St. George supporters cannot add new signatures to the petition at this point. Validation should take about a month.
