LAFAYETTE PARISH — As Louisiana residents head to the polls, several organizations are raising concerns over the upcoming ballot and the potential impact of the proposed amendments.
On March 29, Louisiana voters will return to the polls to vote on four constitutional amendments, including three judicial amendments.
Jan Moller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana, says he believes voters need more time to fully understand the proposals.
His primary concern is Amendment 2, which would revise Article 7 of the Louisiana Constitution and rewrite the state’s tax code. He describes it as a massive proposal with wide-ranging implications.
“There are four amendments on the ballot, and none of them address issues so critical that I think they have to be addressed in March," said Moller.
"If the legislature wants to rewrite the most important, longest section of the Constitution, they certainly should do so, but they should do so in a much more deliberative, drawn-out fashion, where the public has much more chance for input.”
Moller argues that the language used on the ballot is misleading, presenting only the positives of the amendment while leaving out key details.
"There are a lot of things in this amendment that the amendment would do that are not mentioned in the ballot language. The ballot language itself is misleading," said Moller.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State's website, the four proposed constitutional amendments include:
Amendment 1 – Authorizes lawmakers to create special courts, and attorney disciplinary procedures.
Amendment 2 – Revises the state’s tax code, proposing revisions to Louisiana's taxation, budget, and revenue policies.
Amendment 3 – Expands legislators' power to send minors to adult prisons for certain felony crimes.
Amendment 4 – Proposes Changes to Judicial Election Dates in Louisiana.
Just two weeks ago, a group filed a lawsuit against the state over Amendment 2, calling it an unlawful attempt to rewrite the Constitution.
Steven Procopio with Louisiana’s Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) is hosting meetings across the state to help voters understand the four proposed amendments.
"It's really just to try to meet people and help them understand what's in the constitutional amendments," said Procopio.
PAR published a guide on the amendments, you can read it here.
KATC reached out to Governor Jeff Landry's office and Attorney General Liz Murrill's office for comment on the claims. Neither office responded by the time of this broadcast.
Early voting for the March 29 election runs from March 15-22.
