Cedric Glover

Cedric Bradford Glover (born August 9, 1965) is an African-American Democratic Party politician who is a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was earlier the two-term mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, the first person of his race in that position.

Outgoing Mayor Keith Hightower was term-limited in 2006, after having won election in both 1998 and 2002. Glover defeated the Republican mayoral candidate, former city attorney Jerry Jones, in the general election held on November 7, 2006, by a 54-46 percent margin. The third-place contender, former broadcast journalist Liz Swaine, had been eliminated in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on September 30. Glover was formerly a member in both the Louisiana House of Representatives (1996–2006) and the Shreveport City Council (1990–1996).

In the primary held on October 2, 2010, Glover sought a second term against seven opponents. He led with 16,376 votes (45 percent), and city council member Bryan Wooley, a Republican, trailed with 11,218 votes (31 percent).^[1] In the November 2 general election, Glover handily defeated Wooley, 37,699 votes (64 percent) to 21,021 (36 percent).^[2]

Early life and career

Glover is the youngest son of Elizabeth Bradford Glover and the late Clarence Ernest Glover, Sr. He is a lifelong resident of Shreveport and was educated in the public and private schools of Caddo Parish. Once out of high school, Glover briefly attended both Grambling State University and Louisiana State University. He became a regional president for Professional Temporaries USA.^[3]

Early in his life, Glover started a Boy Scouts of America troop in the Norwela Council area. He later served with the Volunteers of America Lighthouse program as a program coordinator. During this time, he was elected treasurer of the Shreveport Chapter of the NAACP, and president of Martin Luther King, Jr., Civic Club. At the time, the Martin Luther King, Jr., area of Shreveport was plagued with drug use and criminal activity including violence from local gangs. Glover was active in efforts that culminated with the deployment of Operation T.H.O.R. in the MLK area. Operation T.H.O.R., which is an acronym for Take, Hold, Organize, and Return, represents the largest mobilization of law enforcement in Northwest Louisiana history and served to break the stranglehold on the community by the illegal drug trade and local gangs.

Prompted by the urging of many, Glover offered himself as a candidate for the Shreveport City Council District A seat. In November 1990, he became the youngest individual ever elected to the Shreveport City Council. While on the City Council, he served terms as Council Chairman, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, and was selected Public Official of the Year by the Shreveport chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. He also received the Louisiana Municipal Association's Community Achievement Award three times, as well as the Shreveport Black Chamber of Commerce Political Achievement Award.

As councilman, Glover secured more than $30 million in capital construction dollars for his district, and increased the Parks and Recreation budget by 30 percent and declared war on liquor stores selling to minors. This action resulted in the first liquor license revocations in city history. He also championed and advanced the concept of Community Oriented Policing, at a time when most in law enforcement saw little value in it.

During his tenure on the Council, he was a board member of the Greater Shreveport Economic Development Committee, Goodwill Industries and the Metropolitan YMCA, and became the youngest graduate of the Leadership Louisiana program.

In October 1995, Glover was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was elected by his colleagues to the executive committee of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. He was also selected as Legislator of the Year by the Rural Caucus, and selected as Legislator of the Month by the Louisiana Municipal Association, Citizens Against Crime, Inc., for instituting the first computer automated crime victim notification system in the entire state of Louisiana.

In June 2008, Glover called for a moment of silence before the city council to honor the memory of Herman Farr, one of the first three African Americans to have been elected to the body, having served from 1978 to 1982.

2008 veto controversy

On October 24, 2008, Glover vetoed a pay raise proposal that would have included all law enforcement personnel.^[4] This was the first veto the mayor used during his term. The pay raise, backed by a Shreveport City Councilman would use funds re-allocated from the current budget. The proposal had intended to remedy the city's number of law enforcement personnel that were leaving because of low pay and safety issues. Shreveport has a considerably higher crime rate and pays its police officers less than the regional average. The Councilman argued that the proposal was one way to retain more officers, saying: "Officers are leaving at an alarming rate to find better pay somewhere else. Let's keep it in the police department. Let's give the police officers a well deserved-well needed raise and lets make ourselves competitive in the marketplace."^[4] Glover responded by saying that the city only loses officers at a rate of 6 percent, which is below the national average of 10 percent.^[5]

Four days after the veto, supporters of the proposal failed to override it when the City Council voted in favor of the Mayor's decision. The supporters would have needed at least five votes to override.^[6]

Dog park controversy

On March 28, 2013, Glover was sued by Cynthia Keith, individually and on behalf of the Shreveport Dog Park Alliance (#SDPA), for a writ of mandamus. The City Council passed legislation concerning a cooperative endeavor agreement to establish and operate the City's first dog park, along the banks of the Red River, which Glover vetoed. The veto was overridden, but the Mayor steadfastly refused to sign an agreement over dog park funding, which was REQUIRED by the resolution. The suit alleged that the Mayor violated the City Charter, his oath of office and the resolution.^[7] The Shreveport City Council as the governing authority for the City, considered another Resolution in support of the lawsuit against Glover, who took the legal position that he was exercising discretion in not signing the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (#CEA). The matter was heard May 7, 2013 and May 16, 2013 before Judge Leon Emanuel, who ordered Glover to enforce the tenets of Resolution 133 of 2012 (concerning a dog park funding cooperative endeavor agreement for Hamel Memorial). The mayor appealed to the Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in Shreveport in late October 2013.^[8]

Glover began a series of town hall meetings—after he lost in the lower court—in which he suggested locations other than Hamel Memorial. One such meeting was held at Valencia Park in Stoner Hill. On November 22, KTBS-TV carried a story ^[9] that #SHVDogPark might be located along the Red River at Stoner Avenue adjacent to the Skate Park and boat launch. Stoner had been previously considered as a viable option. The Mayor and dog park project committee of the Shreveport City Council met in December about #SHVDogPark at Stoner Avenue. This alternative was endorsed by dog park supporters and approved by the Mayor, City Council and Red River Waterway Commission (#RRWC). Resolution 220 and a subsequent Cooperative Endeavor Agreement became reality in late January 2014^[10] It established the off-leash area at Stoner Avenue, effected a repeal of the Hamel location legislation, and accepted funding from #RRWC and #SDPA, with spending limits in place. The compromise included "firing the lawyers", who took immediate action to dismiss the legal proceedings in February, 2014. Mayor Glover had previously directed SPAR to work up cost estimates and plans for #SHVDogPark Stoner Avenue. Those efforts will result in hiring a landscape architect, letting public bids and constructing the facility.

Glover was among the state and local officials who endorsed the unsuccessful reelection bid in 2014 of Democrat U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.^[11]

Return to the legislature

On January 11, 2016, Glover returned to the state House for a second stint of service, having won outright the position in the primary election held on October 24, 2015. He received 4,136 votes (52.7 percent), having topped two fellow African-American Democrat challengers, Fred Moss, IV, and Reginald Johnson.^[12][13]

In May 2016, Representative Glover failed to push through the House Criminal Justice Committee on a six to nine vote his bill to assist those wrongfully convicted and imprisoned to obtain compensation from the state. The legislation was particularly aimed at providing compensation to the surviving family of the late Glenn Ford of Shreveport, an African-American who spent three decades on death row until it was determined that he did not murder Isadore Rozeman, a Shreveport jeweler. Ford had been denied compensation because the court claimed he was still guilty through the planning of the armed robbery that led to Rozeman's murder in 1983. The Louisiana 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Shreveport upheld that decision. Roseman's nephew, Dr. Phillip Rozeman of Shreveport, said the only innocent person in the case was his murdered uncle, claiming that Glenn Ford not only planned the crime but also sold stolen items from the jewelry store after the murder. This allegation is refuted by former prosecutor Marty Stroud, who said, "My mistake cost a man 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. The court said he led the effort to invade the house; there's no evidence of that." Ford died of lung cancer in 2015. Glover said that he will re-introduce his legislation in 2017.^[14]

References