Recalling constitutional convention that changed how state operates

As Louisiana marks the 40th anniversary of its constitution, one Eunice resident was invited to be among the surviving delegats of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973, or “C.C. ‘73”, reunion this weekend in New Orleans.
Jack Burson, attorney and Eunice city alderman-at-large, received an invitation for the 40th anniversary reunion of delegates who hammered out the Louisiana Constitution of 1974. Burson was one of the many delegates who had a hand in the historical event that shape the law of the land. He said that it is something “historical that he will never forget”.
Burson said that in 1973 he was elected as a delegate. He was then an elected representative to the St. Landry Parish School Board and was one of five candidates that ran for the position of “elected delegate of District 41” to help re-write The Louisiana Constitution.
“Louisiana had the longest constitution in the world and it was a monstrosity, full of material that belonged in the statutes, not in the constitution,” said Burson. “And when finished with it, we didn’t have what political scientists would have called a ‘perfect document’. I thought that the six months that we spent drafting that constitution was a very intellectually stimulating experience. I was only 34 years old at the time. So, it was pretty exciting.”
Among a myriad of things, the newly drafted Louisiana Constitution of 1974 – which was ratified by Louisiana voters in 1975 – took many progressive steps for the state.
“Prior to the passage of the constitution...women didn’t serve on criminal juries in Louisiana,” said Burson. “Now, the US Supreme Court was later to say that it was an unconstitutional abridgement of women’s rights but they had not yet, I believe, said that. But at any rate, we changed that. I think that you can see that it was definite step into modernity to say the least.”
The new document also provided a new set of Louisiana’s Bill of Rights, according to Burson. He said that prior to that, there were many laws on the books that were “really discriminatory holdovers” from the legal segregation which was being dismantled by the Civil Rights Act at the time.
Burson said that he chanced to work with a lot of important Louisiana politicians of that era, including some who are still active like John Alario – who Burson said sat a couple of desks behind him – and Buddy Roemer– the then-future governor who was an elected delegate from his hometown of Bossier City.
And of course, the whole thing was the brainchild of the then-governor Edwin Edwards – who Burson said was at the height of his political prowess in 1973.
One of Edwards’ campaign issues against U.S. Sen.-to-be Bennett Johnston of Shreveport and others was to overhaul the constitution.
“I was never a supporter of Edwards, but I always had admiration for his political skill,” said Burson. “He was a man of great political skill, there’s no question about it.”
Burson said that Edwards would be in attendance and speaking at the “C.C. ‘73 Reunion” this weekend in New Orleans. The event – which will be held in the WWII Museum in New Orleans on Saturday.
The reunion will also be attended by E.L. “Bubba” Henry, Speaker of the Louisiana House and chairman of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention at the time.
“Jack Burson was an outstanding delegate,” said Henry. “And the thing that I like about Jack is that he and I are about as far apart on some issues as people can get. But we’ve never been apart on the philosophy that he shares and that’s one of fairness, honor and dignity. And I didn’t know Jack before the Constitutional Convention in ‘73, but I’ve gotten to know him and we’ve been friends ever since. He’s a good lawyer, he’s a good person and he was a good delegate.”
Henry said that Louisiana’s Constitutional Convention of 1973 and 1974 was significant.
“Nobody in this country had adopted a completely new constitution for about 20 to 30 years prior to that and nobody at all has done it sincen,” said Henry. “It was something that was of great importance and something of great interest in Louisiana for a number of years before we had the convention. And we were fortunately successful in our efforts.”
Henry said that of all those delegates and legislators who had a hand in the historical achievement, only about one-third of them survive.
“I’m not sure that many of us will be left, if any, for the 50th anniversary,” said Henry. “So we just decided to get together and reunite to talk about our recollections of what went on and the good parts of the new Constitution. We’ll also talk about where we think we failed, I guess.”
Still referring to the “new Constitution” 40 years later, Henry reflected on it and pondered the efforts of those involved.
“I wasn’t completely satisfied with the document that we wrote and I don’t think anyone was,” said Henry. “But as in anything political and anything in life, when you’re making decisions with other people, there has to be a lot of give and take.
“I think we got the best constitution that we could agree upon and that the people would accept in the 1970s. I wish that it had been improved some since. There’s not been many improvements, if any, made to it. The opinions of people change over time and I would have been less restrictive in so far as taxes were concerned. But it would not have passed had it been otherwise. And you certainly couldn’t make it more restrictive now, I don’t think. I think we did a pretty good job. And I doubt that it could be accomplished in today’s environment.”
Henry was an attorney based in Baton Rouge in 1973 and still remains one in Baton Rouge, practicing law today.