The 318: 20-round ammo limit considered in Caddo, Shreveport mayor loses mask mandate appeal

Kendrick Dante, Shreveport Times
·4 min read

This week in the 318, Bossier City made movement on a bus route that SporTran wanted to implement six months ago, the mayor of Shreveport has been forced to pay up over his "unconstitutional" mask mandate, and the longtime operator of Shreveport's city pools can't seem to catch a break.

20-round ammunition limit considered for loaded guns inside vehicles in Caddo Parish

Commissioner President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Caddo Parish Commission meeting, Thursday afternoon, October 21, 2021.
Commissioner President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Caddo Parish Commission meeting, Thursday afternoon, October 21, 2021.

In an effort to curb a trend of drive by shootings in Caddo Parish, a magazine limit of 20 ammunition rounds for loaded guns in vehicles may be instituted by the Parish Commission.

Commissioners questioned why a law-abiding citizen would need a gun loaded with more than 20 rounds while driving if police officers carry less.

“Why have a gun with more than 20 rounds in the vehicle if you don’t intend to use it?” pondered Commissioner Lyndon B. Johnson at the Commission’s Monday evening work session.

Find out more about the potential ordinance here, including opinions from Commissioners Steffon Jones and Jim Taliaferro and the potential for the law to violate the state constitution.

Commissioner Jim Taliaferro ends mayoral campaign, begins run for Shreveport City Council

Commissioner Jim Taliaferro, district 8, during the Caddo Parish Commission meeting, Thursday afternoon, October 21, 2021.
Commissioner Jim Taliaferro, district 8, during the Caddo Parish Commission meeting, Thursday afternoon, October 21, 2021.

Caddo Parish Commissioner Jim Taliaferro announced an end to his campaign to be Shreveport’s mayor and the start of a campaign to be a member of the Shreveport City Council Wednesday morning.

Taliaferro will seek election to the District C seat on the Council, which is now represented by John Nickelson, who announced last month he would not be seeking re-election. Both Taliaferro and Nickelson are Republicans.

In a video posted to Facebook, Taliaferro said his candidacy for the mayor’s office threatens to “split the vote.”

“We’ve done that before and with disastrous results,” Taliaferro said. “Splitting the vote in 2018 opened the doors at City Hall for Adrian Perkins and we cannot take that chance again.”

Bossier City and SporTran agree to six month trial for new, free southern bus route

It may have taken six months longer than SporTran hoped, but the company will soon be able to implement a new, temporarily free bus route in southern Bossier City after a City Council vote Tuesday finally cleared way for its operation.

The route will consist of twelve stops, functioning on a trial basis for its first six months.

All seven City Council members approved the six-month trial Tuesday.

SporTran plans to begin the route June 13.

Read more here about the six month journey to fruition for this controversial implementation.

Shreveport must pay mayor's attorney fees over mask mandate lawsuit lost to businesses

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins during the Shreveport City Council meeting on October 12, 2021, at Government Plaza.
Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins during the Shreveport City Council meeting on October 12, 2021, at Government Plaza.

The City of Shreveport must pay attorney fees to four businesses who successfully sued Mayor Adrian Perkins over a mask mandate he ordered in the early months of the COVID pandemic.

Wednesday, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal ruled Perkins must pay the $36,000 in legal fees the businesses put up to fight the mandate - an order first made by the Caddo district court where the lawsuit was tried - and an additional $2,011 for expenses related to the appeal.

The City of Shreveport is liable to compensate the four businesses because Perkins was sued in his capacity as mayor.

Find out who the four companies are and the amount they originally asked the courts for here.

Atlanta company declines offer to operate Shreveport public pools as summer approaches

The Atlanta company selected by the City of Shreveport to operate the city's public pools declined the offer Thursday, leaving the pools' opening date of June 7 in jeopardy.

In a letter to the media, a city representative said "the company that was originally awarded the contract to manage SPAR pools, declined the City of Shreveport’s offer."

The representative said the city is looking to quickly find a new contractor.

The Atlanta company, USA Management, had been chosen by the city over locally owned Rock Solid Management to run the city's public pool program. Rock Solid operated the city's pools for 13 years.

In a letter to Rock Solid informing the company that they will not be awarded the contract although USA declined, the city referenced a lawsuit against Rock Solid that the company had not disclosed to the city.

Check out The 318 every Sunday for a summary of the biggest headlines of the past seven days.

If you're interested in a deeper dive into the week's local business happenings, check out Business in the 318.

If you'd like to know more about art, food and entertainment from this week, check out Life in the 318.

Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The 318: 20-round ammo limit considered in Caddo, Shreveport pools fiasco