Baton Rouge’s largest young professional organization voiced its opposition Thursday to the hotly contested St. George incorporation effort, breaking a politically quiet streak as the group aims to make its voice in the community louder.
Founded in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Forum 35 cannot endorse a political party or a political candidate. However, it’s free to express its opinions on community issues, so long as the issue isn’t tied to a specific party or candidate, says organization president Jessica Keasler.
Enter St. George, the proposed independent city and school district that would comprise a 60-square-mile section of unincorporated south Baton Rouge. Many Forum 35 members vehemently disagree with the concept, Keasler says, citing racial division and slowed economic development as the roots of their opposition.
The group’s position stems from an in-house poll in which 70% of the 102 members who responded said they opposed incorporating the City of St. George. Though only 26% of respondents said they lived within the proposed city’s limits, the majority said they thought they would be impacted by the incorporation.
While the organization seldom issues statements on political matters, this isn’t the first time it’s taken an official position. And it probably won’t be the last.
A few years ago, group leaders wrote a letter to state lawmakers advocating for higher education funding when colleges throughout the state faced budget slashes. In 2014, they unsuccessfully urged the Metro Council to pass the Fairness Ordinance, which would have prohibited discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
“I could foresee us taking more positions on issues,” Keasler says. “The driving force is what our membership cares about.”
