Early voting starts March 15 and continues through March 22. This time around, voters are being asked to consider four constitutional amendments, including one that’s unlike anything they have ever seen before.
It is Amendment #2, a total rewrite of Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution. That’s the longest article in the constitution and one of the most complicated. It is also the one that is most often amended.
And, it’s also really important because it deals with state and local taxes, revenues, and fiscal policies. Leaders for a Better Louisiana supports this amendment and hopes voters will do the same when they cast their ballots. But we also understand there is a lot of misunderstanding about what the amendment does and does not do.
That’s why we have analyzed it thoroughly and have come up with some resources to better understand it and the other amendments on the ballot.
They include:
- A one-page snapshot of Amendment #2 including 15 major highlights of what it would change and some of the things that would remain the same.
- A brief, and easy-to-understand explanation of what the amendment does and why we support it.
- And a comprehensive deep dive into Amendment #2 as well as the other amendments on the ballot.
While all amendments are important, Amendment #2 is different. It represents the most consequential proposal to change our constitution since it was adopted in 1974. Voters can easily be put off by its length and detail. That’s why we have tried to break it down in ways that are understandable and make sense.
Complexity aside, we do believe that it makes many positive changes to this portion of the constitution. It streamlines it, simplifies it, and in many cases gives the Legislature more flexibility to deal with fiscal issues. It also grows our “Rainy Day” fund significantly and retires a substantial amount of debt in the state teachers’ retirement system. It doubles the standard income tax deduction for senior citizens and makes a temporary teacher pay increase permanent.
While it is not perfect, it is very good and we hope voters agree when they cast their ballots during early voting and Election Day on March 29.
