Louisiana Attorney General Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of attorney general opinions issued in Louisiana, with full citations and the original source on every page.
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When a Louisiana Lawrason Act mayor pro tempore runs a meeting, can he still vote as an alderman, and does he count for a quorum?
Yes to both. A Lawrason Act mayor pro tempore who is presiding because the mayor is absent still has his right to vote as an alderman. He can choose to vote as an alderman OR vote later to break a tie…
In a Louisiana town with a special legislative charter, does the mayor have the authority to hire and fire municipal employees?
Yes, with limits. Under La. R.S. 33:481, when a special legislative charter is silent on a matter, the Lawrason Act fills the gap. La. R.S. 33:404(A)(3) gives the mayor authority to appoint and remove…
In a Lawrason Act town, can the board of aldermen tell the elected chief of police where to park patrol cars after shifts, and can they impose line-item limits on the police budget?
No, and no. The elected chief of police controls department property, including where patrol vehicles get parked at the end of a shift. The board of aldermen cannot impose line-item restrictions on th…
Could a Lawrason Act police chief let officers do paid off-duty security work in town police cars, and could the mayor dismiss traffic tickets by initialing them?
At the time of this 2002 opinion, the AG concluded off-duty security work in town vehicles was permitted (with liability caveats), but a mayor could not dismiss a traffic ticket just by signing his in…
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Attorney general opinions in Louisiana are written by the Louisiana Attorney General's office in response to questions from state agencies, legislators, and prosecutors. They are not binding like court decisions, but courts and agencies treat them as persuasive guidance on how state law applies. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the full original text.