Hamilton v. McKeithen

226 So. 2d 494, 254 La. 683, 1969 La. LEXIS 2837
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 9, 1969
DocketNo. 49762
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 226 So. 2d 494 (Hamilton v. McKeithen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamilton v. McKeithen, 226 So. 2d 494, 254 La. 683, 1969 La. LEXIS 2837 (La. 1969).

Opinion

HAMLIN, Justice:

John J. McKeithen, Governor of the State of Louisiana, American Rice Growers Cooperative Association at Lake Charles, Louisiana, the Lake Charles Maritime Association, the Greater Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce, the West Calcasieu Chamber of Commerce, Jesse M. Knowles, A. C. Clemons, Jr., Harry M.. Hollins, Robert G. Jones, William L. McLeod, Jr., William S. Boyd, and Conway LeBleu devolutively appeal from a final judgment of the trial court, March 12, 1969, which permanently restrained, enjoined, and prohibited John J. McKeithen, Governor of the State of Louisiana (hereinafter referred to as Governor McKeithen), from making an appointment to the Board of Commissioners of the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District under any authority derived from the provisions of Art. XIV, Sec. 30.2(B), La.Const. of 1921, and overruled an exception of no cause of action filed by defendant.1

The trial court declared Art. XIV, Sec. 30.2(B), La.Const. of 1921, unconstitutional, stating in reasons for judgment, “Accordingly, this court holds that to deprive these plaintiffs, and the class they represent, of the right to participate in the selection of the Board of Commissioners of the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States because plaintiffs have been denied equal protection of the laws, and Article 14, Section 30.2(B) of the Louisiana Constitution is unconstitutional.”

Act 708, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to Sec. 30.2 of Art. XIV of the Constitution to provide with respect [687]*687to the membership and the appointment of the Members of the Board of Commissioners of the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District, was enacted during the 1968 Session of the Louisiana State Legislature. The amendment was submitted to the electors for their approval or rejection, and, after approval, was adopted as law November 5, 1968 and duly promulgated December 14, 1968. Art. XIV, Sec. 30.2(B) recites:

“The governing authority of this district shall be a hoard of commissioners whose members shall be appointed by the governor and which shall be known as the Board of Commissioners of Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District. The hoard shall consist of five members who shall he citizens of the United States and qualified voters and taxpayers, and inhabitants of said district during their terms of office. The commissioners shall serve overlapping terms, as established by Act No. 67 of 1924, of six years each. The present members shall continue to serve on the board for the duration of their respective terms. Any vacancies in the membership of the hoard hereafter occurring by reason of expiration of the terms for which appointed, or by reason of death, resignation or otherwise shall be filled in the following manner:
“(1). The first vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, from a list of three nominees submitted to the governor by the central office of the American Rice Growers Cooperative Association at Lake Charles, Louisiana.
“(2). The next vacancy on’ the board shall be filled by appointment by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, from a list of three nominees submitted to the governor by the Lake Charles and Vicinity Central Trades & Labor Council, AFL-CIO, as one organization.
“(3). The next vacancy on the hoard shall be filled by appointment by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, from a list of three nominees submitted to the governor by the Lake Charles Maritime Association.
“(4). The next vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, from a list of three nominees submitted to the governor by the Greater Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce, and the West Calcasieu Chamber of Commerce acting as one organization.
“(5). The next vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, from a list of three nominees submitted to the governor by the state senators and representatives in the legislature representing the parish of Calcasieu.
“(6). Any further vacancies shall be filled in the same order of rotation as [689]*689shown in subsections (1) through (5) of Section B hereof.
“(7). If now, or hereafter, one or more of the five organizations or groups set forth above has no commissioner on the board, the governor, the board, and the five organizations shall proceed to rectify this failure of representation of one or more groups by diverting, in case of a vacancy, from the order of appointments named hereinabove and by receiving nominations instead from the unrepresented organizations or groups, and then thereafter, shall revert to the order of nominations and appointments, as set forth in sub-paragraphs (1) through (5) above. If more than one of the five organizations are unrepresented on the board, priorities shall be in the order of rotation as shown in sub-paragraphs (1) through (5) above, with the American Rice Growers Cooperative Association having first priority in submitting nominees to the governor, the Lake Charles and Vicinity Central Trades & Labor Council, AFL-CIO shall have second priority, the Lake Charles Maritime Association shall have third priority, the Greater Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce and. the West Calcasieu Chamber of Commerce acting as one organization shall have fourth priority, and the Louisiana Legislators representing Calcasieu Parish shall have fifth priority. It is the intention of this language that the purpose of providing one commissioner for each organization shall be corrected and rectified at the earliest possible date, and at the time of the earliest possible vacancy. To facilitate this transition each of the five organizations shall, within 30 days after the promulgation of this amendment, notify both the governor and the board of commissioners whether it has, or has not been provided with a commissioner on the effective date of this amendment, with the name of such commissioner if it has one; and if it has none, it shall so certify such fact to the governor and to the board of commissioners.
“(8). The organizations referred to in Subsection B above shall be understood and construed to be the five organizations presently existing in the city of Lake Charles by the designated names, or their respective legal successors.
“(9). If any one or more of the organizations referred to in Subsection B hereof ceases to exist or to function without any legal successor, then the nominees to be submitted to the governor by such organization shall instead be submitted by the state senators and representatives representing the parish of Calcasieu.
“(10). In the event that for any reason the governor fails to receive three nominees for a given vacancy, as provided in Subsection B above, within sixty days after the expiration of the term of any member of the board'or the occurrence of a vacancy [691]*691oh the board from any other cause, the governor shall' proceed forthwith to make an appointment to fill such vacancy. The organization failing to submit such nominees shall lose its turn in the rotation.
“(11).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
226 So. 2d 494, 254 La. 683, 1969 La. LEXIS 2837, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamilton-v-mckeithen-la-1969.