Guidry resigns from levee district board

Joining what is expected to be a significant number of other appointees to boards and commissions statewide, former state Rep. Richard “Dick” Guidry resigned last week from the South Lafourche Levee Board.

Guidry cited the new and increased financial and business disclosure requirements, which became effective July 1, as his reason for resigning.

In a letter to Gov. Bobby Jindal declaring his resignation, Guidry expressed his opposition to the new requirements. “I have no ties to any businesses that wish to do business with the South Lafourche Levee District or state and in more than 34 of public service have never even had a whisper of wrongdoing,” he wrote. “Yet, I am to be treated as I’ve done something wrong and turn over private information that can be viewed over the Internet. This is a major invasion of privacy and a hindrance for any person to conduct lawful business.”

“I have always enjoyed my service to the state and hope that I can continue to serve,” he wrote in closing. “Unfortunately, it will be in a non-official capacity from now on.”

Guidry created the levee district board on which he served when he was a state representative in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In an ironic twist, the new disclosure requirements caused nine members of the 11-member state Board of Ethics to resign. Without a quorum to call meetings, its work is temporarily suspended until new members willing to serve under the new financial disclosure requirements are found.