Ethics changes lead locals to resign

Two Tri-parish area members of the Louisiana State Arts Council were among at least 10 of the council’s members who resigned Monday after learning they would need to disclose their finances to retain their seats.

Council members Juana Woodard of Houma and Angela Hammerli of Thibodaux resigned over the new law requiring members of boards in the state to publicly disclose their income and business interests.

The requirement was passed earlier this year in the first special session of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. The session dealt only with ethics issues.

Arts Council members, who serve without pay and are appointed by the governor, received letters from the state asserting that the only way to avoid disclosure was to leave their positions.

“I don’t want to disclose, so I will resign,” said Woodard, who e-mailed her resignation followed by a hard copy. “I’d be happy to say how much I make in the arts but the rest of the money is none of your business. Would you like your entire finances to be published on the Internet? I don’t think so.”

Woodard said the law requires financial disclosure by immediate family members so her son would have to disclose, even though her job is voluntary.

“I enjoyed serving on the board,” Hammerli said. “I love the arts, but I feel like I’m being pushed.”

“We enjoy working with the artists,” she said. “I’m sorry not to be part of that.”

Both Woodard and Hammerli, who have been on the Arts Council since 2002, said they did not believe the new legislation would be enacted.

“We went through a lot to build our program,” Woodard said. “I don’t think our local delegation thought this would happen.”

“If we’re all gone, they’ll have to appoint a whole new slate of people,” Hammerli said.

The Arts Council, part of the Louisiana Division of the Arts in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, addresses arts-related issues at quarterly meetings in Baton Rouge and approves grant awards made by the Division of the Arts.

The state council has 15 to 18 members.