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Proposed bylaw changes will restrict BREC commissioners from speaking to media
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UPDATE: A Bylaws Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12, in which the changes were going to be discussed was postponed indefinitely Thursday morning. No reason for the schedule change was given.
Read the WBRZ Investigative Unit report below.
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BATON ROUGE - Following several reports from the WBRZ Investigative Unit involving a BREC commissioner speaking up about the park system's financial troubles, it appears someone in the agency wants to restrict the commissioners' availability to media.
A two-page document obtained by the WBRZ Investigative Unit lays out some proposed additions to the commission's bylaws.
It contains new guidelines for members speaking to the media to "ensure accurate, consistent, and professional communication with the public."
The potential changes come after several reports by the Investigative Unit with commissioner and treasurer Dwayne Rogers who aired out his concerns with the state of the system's finances.
"I would have concerns about entrusting additional dollars to them, and I'm the treasurer," Rogers said, ahead of last month's election where residents would vote on renewing a tax that largely funds BREC.
Rogers told us he had trouble getting some financial reports he needed for his role as treasurer.
"I began to start asking questions and start trying to get information on our finances and started receiving resistance almost immediately."
That report apparently ruffled some feathers within BREC, spurring the commission's Chairman Kenneth Pointer to send an email to a wide range of media outlets stating Rogers' claims were false and that he should have come to him — not WBRZ — with his concerns. Rogers, however, had sent several emails to Pointer and BREC's attorney about the issues prior.
Now, it appears someone may want to make that commission policy with these new bylaws. The proposed changes will establish the chairman (Pointer), or his official designee, as the commission's spokesperson.
All press releases, interviews, and official statements must be approved by one of them. Commissioners are not to make any public statements without approval.
It even limits what commissioners can post on their personal social media account regarding commission matters.
These proposed changes will need to be voted on by the commission after some vetting. It's not clear when that will be.
We spoke to an attorney who specializes in First Amendment law who says although there's nothing illegal about these changes, they will definitely have a "chilling effect" on the commissioners' decisions to speak to media.
When asked about the bylaws and where they came from, BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson said, "commissioners make their own bylaws." He then said "I don't have any comment," when asked if restricting commissioners from speaking to media was something he supported.
Both BREC'S attorney and Chairman Pointer did not reply to requests for comment.
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