Bossier City Council approves ballot measure for term limits: Here's what you should know
Tuesday saw the Bossier City Council vote to hold an election to vote on two measures regarding term limits for mayor and city council members.
Here's what you need to know.
On May 3, voters can vote "yes" or "no" to term limits, as proposed by the Bossier Term Limits Coalition, implementing a three-term limit for the mayor and councilpersons for terms served before January 1, 2024.
An alternative term limits proposal will be put to a vote in March, allowing Mayor Tommy Chandler and current council members to serve for an additional 12 years and return to office after a temporary absence, as proposed by the appointed Bossier City Charter Commission.
The Bossier City Term Limits Coalition submitted a petition to Bossier City officials on July 10, 2023, signed by 2,977 residents to support term limits. In response, Bossier City Attorney Charles Jacobs engaged an outside counsel to review the petition on August 11, 2023. The outside counsel subsequently requested the input of the Louisiana Attorney General's Office four days later.
It was determined that the petition lacked proper requirements, such as date of birth. However, a petition signed and certified on July 25, 2024, has all the required information requested in the original petition from 2023. 2,928 names were verified on the petition calling to amend the Bossier City Charter, allowing the mayor and city council members to serve up to three terms.
A court ruled that the Bossier City Council calls an election if the required number of signatures is met.
The vote to pass a resolution calling for a spring election on term limits was unanimous, though council members Jeffrey Darby and Vince Maggio were absent.
Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinsonand on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Term limits to appear on ballot following Bossier City Council approval
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Earle-Sears' record on social issues complicates bid to follow Youngkin's path in Virginia governor's race
Winsome Earle-Sears, the all-but-certain Republican nominee in the Virginia governor's race this fall, has built the early stages of her campaign around being Gov. Glenn Youngkin's partner. Earle-Sears, the state's lieutenant governor, has largely attempted to frame her candidacy as an extension of the current administration, an attempt to replicate the term-limited governor's path to victory in the blue-leaning state four years ago. 'Together, we've fought for parents, backed the blue, and delivered real results for Virginians. Now, it's time to keep that momentum going,' Earle-Sears, referring to Youngkin, wrote in a Facebook post earlier this year. But there has been notable daylight between Earle-Sears and Youngkin on several fronts, particularly on social issues, complicating her strategy to follow in the footsteps of her more popular governing partner. 'She is definitely trying to have it all ways,' said a Republican operative in Virginia, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about Earle-Sears. Most prominently, Earle-Sears has made clear she is not fully aligned with Youngkin on a pair of hot-button social issues: same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Last year, Youngkin signed legislation protecting marriage equality in Virginia. But Earle-Sears left a handwritten note on the bill stating she was 'morally opposed' to the legislation. Following the bill's passage through both chambers of the Legislature, Earle-Sears wrote on the physical copy, 'As the Lt. Governor, I recognize and respect my constitutional obligation to adhere to the procedures laid out in the Constitution of Virginia. However, I remain morally opposed to the contents of HB174 as passed by the General Assembly.' Earle-Sears doubled down on separating herself from Youngkin's position on the issue in a recent interview, telling a local news outlet in Richmond last month that she was 'fine' with civil unions but refused to say she supported same-sex marriage. She's also out of step with Youngkin's positioning on abortion rights. In 2023, Youngkin proposed a 15-week ban on abortion in the state, which included exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother, in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to help the GOP carve out a less severe 'consensus' bill restricting reproductive rights. For her part, Earle-Sears has supported a ban at six weeks, or when fetal cardiac activity is detected — a point at which most women don't even know they are pregnant — and with fewer exceptions. While she got behind Youngkin's 15-week ban in 2023, she left another handwritten note on a measure passed by the Legislature earlier this year to send to voters a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine the state's abortion protections. 'I am morally opposed to this bill; no protection for the child,' she wrote. She has also in the past called abortion 'genocide' and vowed to 'do everything in my power' to end abortion in Virginia. Youngkin managed to shift the focus elsewhere during his 2021 campaign — and has largely had to continue doing so as governor, as he's dealt with a Democratic-controlled Legislature. But the fact that he staked out middle ground on social issues has only further highlighted Earle-Sears' more conservative positioning. In addition, Earle-Sears has faced criticism for her approach to the plight of federal workers in Virginia who have been affected by President Donald Trump's moves to shrink the size of government via the Department of Government Efficiency. She praised those efforts earlier this year, saying she was 'glad' Trump was 'getting to the bottom' of alleged waste and fraud in the federal government. While she has often pointed to the Youngkin administration's investments in the private sector of the Virginia economy as a reason workers need not worry, she has also said she would help Trump 'get the job done' on the issue. And she downplayed the federal layoffs at an event in March, saying, 'The media is making it out to be a huge, huge thing — and I don't understand why.' Youngkin, on the other hand, has said he wants to 'cushion' his state's economy from the effects of DOGE and earlier this year was frequently touting a website his administration created that effectively serves as a job board — while also praising DOGE. Earle-Sears' positions stand in contrast to the relative political middle ground Youngkin has famously staked out in Virginia — efforts that have contributed to a record of strong approval ratings for the Republican governor in a state that Kamala Harris carried last year by about 6 percentage points. Last month, though, a Roanoke College poll found a 44% favorability rating for Youngkin among registered voters, versus 50% who view him unfavorably — his worst showing in that particular poll, and a possible indication that the broader GOP brand could be facing trouble in Virginia. But Earle-Sears had lower marks, with only 32% viewing her favorably and 48% saying they had an unfavorable view. Another 20% of respondents said they had no opinion of her. And the poll showed Democrat Abigail Spanberger leading Earle-Sears in the governor's race by 17 points. Political operatives in the state from both parties told NBC News these notable departures by Earle-Sears — particularly on social issues — risk turning off large chunks of voters in the political center that she'd need to hold together Youngkin's winning coalition from four years ago. 'What's her core promise to the voter? It should be pretty simple: 'Things are going good. Let's keep it going' — but she gets distracted,' the Republican operative said. Democratic Party of Virginia spokesperson Maggie Amjad said these issues, and others, show that Earle-Sears 'is a far-right candidate with a long record that's out of step with Virginians.' Representatives for both Earle-Sears and Youngkin downplayed any differences in their political views and emphasized that Youngkin's strengths as governor still extended to Earle-Sears and other Republicans on the ballot in Virginia this fall. 'The media's obsession with creating division where there isn't any won't change the fact that the Youngkin-Sears Administration is one of the most popular in Virginia's history — that's no accident,' Earle-Sears campaign press secretary Peyton Vogel said in an email to NBC News. 'They share a commitment to common-sense leadership, individual liberty, and getting government out of the way. Winsome has been a vital part of this administration, and will continue to bring ideas to the table that better the lives of Virginians across the Commonwealth as Governor just as she has during her time as Lieutenant Governor.' Justin Discigil, a spokesperson for Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC, said in an email that 'Youngkin has delivered for Virginians with record tax relief, record job growth, and record investments in education, law enforcement, behavioral health, and other shared priorities,' and that Earle-Sears 'and all Virginia Republicans have a record to run on with proven results.' Earle-Sears' positioning on social issues and DOGE could further complicate what had already emerged as an uphill climb for Republicans to keep control of the governorship. Earle-Sears has already faced a torrent of criticism for running an undisciplined campaign. And Spanberger, her opponent, is widely seen as a strong candidate who has won several competitive House races. The GOP also faces historical headwinds: In 11 of the last 12 Virginia gubernatorial races, voters elected the candidate of the party out of power in the White House. Republicans view Youngkin's 2021 victory as the product of a unique candidate who was able to benefit from the anger and fatigue over the Covid-19 pandemic and remote learning in public schools. Strategists said that will be difficult to replicate this year. 'He just simply makes the main thing the main thing, and he's extremely disciplined about it. Everything fits into 'make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family.' He puts everything into the common sense bucket, the kitchen-table issue bucket. That's where he lives. That's why his approval ratings are always pretty high,' said Virginia-based Republican strategist Zack Roday, who previously worked with Youngkin through his Spirit of Virginia PAC but is not working with the Earle-Sears campaign. Roday, along with other Virginia GOP strategists, suggested that Earle-Sears hadn't yet displayed the same political strengths. Meanwhile, Democrats signaled they were preparing to seize on another difference they said would be meaningful to Virginia voters: how each candidate handled Trump during their campaign. Throughout the 2021 campaign, Youngkin notably kept his distance from Trump, who was at a political low point following his loss to Joe Biden and the fallout from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. While Youngkin has since cultivated a much more public and close relationship with Trump in the years since, operatives from both major parties credited that distance during that campaign as another reason he won. Earle-Sears has so far voiced full-throated support for Trump. Earle-Sears 'is only focused on appeasing Trump and pushing an extreme agenda that's wrong for Virginia,' said Amjad. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Digitally altered photo misleads on Trump's response to South Korea presidential election
"As soon as [Lee Jae-myung] was inaugurated as president, 'Yoon Again' was spotted on Trump's cellphone," reads part of a Korean-language Facebook post shared on June 5. "It means President Yoon is still the only leader Trump accepts." A photo attached to the post appears to show US President Donald Trump holding up a phone with "Yoon Again" displayed on its screen; the slogan was adopted by impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol's supporters who believe his removal from office was illegitimate (archived link). The posts were shared a day after Lee won South Korea's snap presidential election by a large margin, ending months of political unrest triggered by Yoon's imposition of martial law and subsequent impeachment (archived link). The same doctored image and claim were widely circulated in Facebook groups backing Yoon and other conservative figures in South Korea, as well as on far-right forum Ilbe. "President Trump will correct the results of South Korea's presidential election as he seems to have watched it closely," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "Trump is the only ally to President Yoon still standing, let's put our trust in him." As of June 6, Trump had not called the new South Korean president, with analysts saying any further delay may signal reluctance on the US president's part to engage with the new leader (archived link). The circulating image, however, has been altered. A keyword search found the circulating image was altered from a photo taken by AFP photographer Saul Loeb on May 30 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, as Trump disembarked from Air Force One. Trump's phone lock screen in fact shows a picture of the president pointing forwards, not a message of support for Yoon. The date displayed on the phone screen also reads "May 30" -- four days before South Korea's presidential election. According to reports by MSNBC and Euronews, the image of Trump's phone screen was widely discussed on social media, with his supporters praising the president and his critics calling him "self-absorbed" (archived here and here). Another photo taken by Loeb also shows Trump's phone screen did not display a message of support for Yoon. AFP has debunked multiple false claims about Trump's supposed opinion on South Korea's impeached president.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Collage of 'Philippine traffic conditions' misuses Vietnam photo
The misleading collage was posted on Facebook on May 28 by a content creator who has previously shared pro-Marcos misinformation debunked by AFP. The post features two photos, with one showing a gridlocked intersection labelled "DUTERTE TIME". This is contrasted with a second photo of orderly traffic superimposed with an image of Marcos and labelled "PBBM TIME", using the current leader's initials. The post received over 30,000 reactions, comments and shares, and has circulated elsewhere on Facebook, X and TikTok. Marcos swept to power in 2022 after joining forces with the Duterte family in the elections that year but the alliance began crumbling almost immediately (archived link). The feud exploded into open warfare this year with the impeachment of Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, and the subsequent arrest and transfer of the ex-president, to face charges at the International Criminal Court at the Hague tied to his deadly drug war. Comments show people appear to believe the claim -- users showered praise on Marcos, whose popularity dropped steeply following his deputy's impeachment and predecessor's stunning arrest (archived link). "'Du-dirty' made a lot of mess. PBBM is fixing these now," one wrote. "It's obvious, under PBBM there is change and people are more disciplined," another wrote. However, the photo showing major congestion was not taken in the Philippines. A reverse image search of the image labelled "Duterte Time" found it shows a gridlock Vietnam's capital Hanoi (archive link). Chinese state-run media organisation published the photo with credits to state news agency Xinhua. It is captioned: "Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2015 shows a traffic jam on a main road in Hanoi, Vietnam. Heavy rains occurred early Tuesday morning in Hanoi left several streets flooded and caused traffic jam during rush hour. [Photo/Xinhua]." The area where the gridlock occurred was at the intersection of Le Van Luong and Nguyen Tuan streets as seen on Google Maps (archived link). The second photo of traffic credited to Marcos' government was taken from a video clip posted on May 26, when the government resumed its "no contact apprehension policy (NCAP)" for motorists in the Philippine capital, which uses CCTV to detect traffic violations (archived link). Text overlaid on the video says, "Commonwealth Now / May 26, 2025/ NCAP." Commonwealth Avenue is the country's widest highway which sees a high volume of traffic daily (archived link). The TikTok clip matches similar scenes at Commonwealth Avenue published by local broadcasters GMA News, Net25 and the Metro Manila Development Authority, the government agency managing traffic in Manila (archived here, here, and here). June 6, 2025 Minor tweak in headline to say 'misuses'
