[url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/28/us/louisiana-st-george.html][/url]Quote:
Louisiana Will Get a New City After a Yearslong Court Battle
The State Supreme Court cleared the way for a part of Baton Rouge to become the city of St. George. Critics say the white, wealthier enclave separating from the capital could have devastating consequences.
The original plan was to start a school district. That didn't work. So a group of residents in a sprawling unincorporated suburb of Baton Rouge, La., expanded their idea: Create a city of their own, called St. George.
In 2015, they collected signatures to bring their proposal up for a vote, but didn't get enough. In 2019, they tried again. This time, they made it to a ballot and won the election, only to be stalled by a lengthy court battle.
But the Louisiana Supreme Court cleared the way on Friday for the formation of St. George, a city of nearly 100,000 people that joins the ranks of the state's largest cities, falling between Lafayette and Lake Charles in population. It is the first city to be incorporated in Louisiana in nearly two decades.
A majority of justices found that lower courts had erred in blocking the city's creation over concerns of its financial viability.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/28/us/louisiana-st-george.html
Quote:
Wealthy white Louisiana residents win right to split from Baton Rouge and form their own city
A group of wealthy white Baton Rouge residents have won a decades-long battle to split from the majority-black city to form their own suburb following a state Supreme Court ruling.
After reversing a lower court's decision on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in favor of the incorporation of St. George, which will form in southeast Baton Rouge.
"This is the culmination of citizens exercising their constitutional rights. We voted and we won," Andrew Murrell, one of the leaders of the St. George campaign, said in a statement following the victory.
"Now we begin the process of delivering on our promises of a better city," he added. "We welcome both our friends and foes to the table to create St. George."
https://nypost.com/2024/04/29/us-news/wealthy-white-louisiana-residents-split-from-baton-rouge-to-form-their-own-city/
BREAKING: Louisiana Supreme Court has voted to allow residents to secede from Democrat-run Baton Rouge and create their own city.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) April 30, 2024
The new city, St. George, will have nearly 100,000 people, making it one of the state’s largest cities in population.
“This is the culmination of… pic.twitter.com/5NqTASj7Wp