Louisiana parish president strikes down law that allows firefighters to raise street donations for MDA

From The Daily Comet in Louisiana:

HOUMA, La. — Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet exercised his first veto option this month, striking down a law that would have allowed firefighters to solicit donations on local streets for the Muscular Dystrophy Association two weekends per year.

It’s unclear whether the Parish Council, which enacted the law in August, will garner enough votes to override his veto at its regular meeting Sept. 23. The meeting, which is open to the public, begins at 6 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room in the Government Tower, 8026 Main St., in Houma.

The last time a parish president vetoed a council-approved law was in July 2007, under Don Schwab’s administration. Schwab vetoed a measure to create a three-way stop at Glendale and Willard avenues, according to council documents.

At least one local firefighter plans to ask the council to allow the semi-annual street solicitations.

“Of course I’m kind of upset. We fought to get this back, our boot drive,” said Capt. Keith Ward with Houma Fire Department. “I’m going to ask them for their support. … This had been a tradition of the fire service.”

Since 1996, all street-side solicitations have been illegal in Terrebonne, a condition Claudet says he wants to keep so that traffic can flow safely and effectively.

“One of the big pushes throughout my administration is to assist in traffic to make Houma a more inviting place and our retail establishments more inviting,” Claudet said.

Claudet said he didn’t express his opinion on the matter at previous council meetings because it was, at that point, a council decision, and he wasn’t asked.

The Parish Council in late August voted to allow local firefighters to seek donations on streets two weekends each year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or MDA. The vote was 5-4, with Council members Teri Cavalier, Joey Cehan, Clayton Voisin and Kevin Voisin voting against the street-side solicitations.

At the Parish Council’s regular meeting Wednesday, members could decide to override Claudet’s veto. But they will need six votes to do so, according to parish law.

Considering the way votes fell in August, the likelihood is that Claudet’s veto will stand.

“I don’t see anyone budging,” said Council Chairwoman Arlanda Williams, adding that she has yet to talk to her fellow council members.

Though she was the council member to first propose firefighters be allowed to collect donations on local streets, Williams said she doesn’t plan to oppose Claudet’s veto. As chairwoman, she said, she is unable to put forth any motions at regular meetings, such as a veto override.

Councilman Joey Cehan, who voted against the solicitations, said it was a difficult decision since he helps raise money for the MDA through other fundraisers, but that the issue boiled down to public safety.

“You drive around Houma, you see the traffic,” Cehan said. “We don’t need any other delays.”

Other council members who voted with Cehan against allowing street-side donation drives were not available or didn’t return phone calls for comment on their current stances.

With so much road construction under way and planned for the future, Claudet said the donation drive would add to residents’ traffic concerns. For instance, he said, the nearly two-year construction of the Prospect Street Bridge’s replacement over Bayou Terrebonne will affect traffic starting in January.

Also, if one charity is allowed to street-side solicit, others will want the same treatment, he said.

Jane Adkins of the American Cancer Society’s local chapter wrote an e-mail to council members dated Aug. 24, in which she said that other nonprofits should have equal access to the streets for donations.

There are other means for raising funds besides street-side solicitations, Claudet and Cehan said.

Both men said their decisions do not mean a lack of support for the organizations involved.

“I’m just not for anything that would prohibit traffic flow,” Claudet said, adding that he’s pro-firefighter, pro-Muscular Dystrophy Association and pro-council.