BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Voters in Louisiana will see a few constitutional amendments on the ballot in both upcoming elections this fall.
A total of eight amendments will be on the ballots. Four will appear on ballots in the Nov. 18 general election ballot. Topics include retirement debt, veto sessions, church protections and property tax exemptions.
The Public Affairs Research and Council of Louisiana shared a helpful guide breaking down what a vote for and against each proposed amendment would do.
Here’s what to know about the constitutional amendments on the November ballot.
Nov. 18 Amendment No. 1: Deadlines to veto bills and rules for veto sessions
What a vote for would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote for this would allow lawmakers to try to override a governor’s bill rejections without calling a separate veto session if they are already in a legislative session and add further details about the deadlines for a governor to veto bills.
An argument for this, according to the guide, is that writers of the Louisiana Constitution didn’t anticipate so many special sessions called in a term, so they didn’t properly account for how to apply bill veto rules across multiple sessions when they fall close together.
What a vote against would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote against would require lawmakers trying to override a governor’s bill rejections to hold a separate veto session if the vetoes came in a legislative session that has
ended and kept the current rules for a governor to issue bill vetoes.
An argument against this, according to the guide, is that the Louisiana Constitution is clear in its deadlines for bill vetoes and its rules for veto sessions.
Nov. 18 Amendment No. 2: Repeal of inactive special funds in the constitution
What a vote for would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote for this would remove six inactive funds with zero or near-zero balances from the Louisiana Constitution.
An argument for this, according to the guide, is repealing inactive funds wouldn’t change anything for the state financially, but it would clean up the cluttered Louisiana Constitution.
What a vote against would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote against would keep the six inactive funds with zero or near-zero balances in the Louisiana Constitution.
An argument against this, according to the guide, is lawmakers and voters created the funds for an initial purpose, and they may want to return them to use in the future.
Nov. 18 Amendment No. 3: Property tax exemptions for first responders
What a vote for would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote for this would allow a parish governing authority to give an extra property tax exemption to police, firefighters and certain other first responders who own homes and live in the parish.
An argument for this, according to the guide, is granting an additional property tax break can help recruit and retain people in needed first responder jobs, and areas with severe shortages of police officers are searching for more ways to draw people to the work.
What a vote against would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote against would maintain the current property tax system, which doesn’t let parish governing authorities offer the extra tax break to first responders.
An argument against this, according to the guide, is special property tax breaks erode the dollars available to local government to provide needed services and shift the tax burden to fewer taxpayers.
“An extra tax exemption for first responders will decrease the tax revenue available to school systems and other local agencies, many of which won’t have a say on whether to enact the exemption,” the guide said.
Nov. 18 Amendment No. 4: Rule changes for the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund
What a vote for would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote for this would tighten the rules on the allowed use of a seven-year-old state trust fund that collects dollars from corporate tax collections and oil and gas production in Louisiana.
An argument for this, according to the guide, is the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund was created to bring more certainty to state budgeting and give lawmakers a financing source for needed infrastructure projects.
What a vote against would mean
Per PAR’s guide, a vote against would maintain broad rules for the emergency use of a seven-year-old state trust fund that collects dollars from corporate tax collections and gas production in Louisiana.
An argument against this, according to the guide, is Louisiana locks up too much money in constitutionally protected accounts that limit lawmakers’ ability to respond to the state’s changing needs and circumstances.
“This amendment would worsen the problem, removing the Legislature’s flexibility to tap into the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund in times lawmakers consider an emergency,” the guide said.
