On March 29, Louisiana voters will decide on four constitutional amendments that address tax policy, judicial procedures, and juvenile justice laws.

A two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber was required to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. All four of the amendments were passed with 100% of Republican legislators in favor while most Democrats opposed them.

Changes to state tax policy and government budget

Amendment 2

Amendment 2 would revise Article VII of the state constitution, making changes to taxes and the state budget. The following changes would be made:

• reduce the maximum income tax rate from 4% to 3.75%;
• provide a property tax exemption for property owned by a nonprofit operated for religious purposes;
• repeal the Revenue Stabilization Fund and provide a one-time payment to parishes that elect to exempt business inventory from ad valorem taxes; and
• establish a government growth limit prohibiting spending state general fund recurring revenues above the limit.

The amendment includes a provision stating that “As provided by law, participating employers in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana shall provide a permanent salary increase to eligible personnel.”

Supporters of Amendment 2 include Americans for Prosperity of Louisiana, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, and the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, as well as Gov. Jeff Landry (R). Landry said, “We, in this state, have been on the losing end of an economic game that other states are playing and beating us at today. We offer an opportunity to change that playbook so Louisiana can start winning. … So your taxation will be driven by more about what you choose to buy, rather than by your labor … This holistic plan is designed not only to address budget shortfalls, but to catapult Louisiana into the future with increased jobs and economic growth for years to come.”

Amendment 2 was passed with 100% Republican support. In the Senate, the amendment received 100% Democratic support. In the House, 17 Democrats were in favor and 11 were opposed.

Changes to state judicial and criminal justice processes

Amendment 1

Amendment 1 would authorize the Louisiana Supreme Court to discipline out-of-state lawyers for unethical legal practices in the state and provide the court with the power to establish trial courts of limited and specialized jurisdiction.

State Sen. Jay Morris (R-35), who sponsored Amendment 1 in the state Senate, said, “Twenty-seven states have business courts to handle complex or highly specialized cases, including Texas recently enacted one, and right now under our constitution we can only create a court that had parish-wide jurisdiction, nothing beyond that.”

Opponents of Amendment 1 include the ACLU of Louisiana, Invest in Louisiana, and Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights. Power Coalition for Equity and Justice said, “This amendment isn’t about disciplining out-of-state attorneys. Out-of-state attorneys already get disciplined and disbarred for their actions in Louisiana, ALL THE TIME. So, what aren’t they telling us? This amendment sounds like politicians can punish out-of-state attorneys doing work they don’t agree with under the guise of ethics complaints.”

Amendment 1 was passed with 100% Republican support. In the Senate, one Democrat was in favor and six were opposed. In the House, 3 Democrats were in favor and 25 were opposed.

Amendment 3

Currently, the state constitution lists certain crimes that the legislature can exclude from special juvenile procedures with a two-thirds (66.67%) vote. Under Amendment 3, the list would be removed from the constitution, and instead, the legislature would be authorized to determine in state law which crimes can result in a juvenile being tried as an adult. In Louisiana, individuals who commit a crime between the ages of 10 and 17 years old are considered juveniles and can be tried under juvenile procedures. If tried in juvenile court, the individuals may only be held in prison until age 21 unless transferred to adult court.

Amendment sponsor State Sen. Heather Cloud (R-28) said, “This is very important legislation. It builds upon successes that we’ve already achieved that are critical to the overall well-being and safety and security of our state for today and for future generations.”

Opponents of Amendment 3 formed the No on 3 coalition and include the ACLU of Louisiana, the Innocence Project of New Orleans, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. No on 3 said, “Amendment 3 would expose more youth to the dangers of adult jails, where they face significantly higher risks of suicide and long-term harm, while worsening Louisiana’s already overburdened and costly legal system. This policy disproportionately impacts marginalized youth and undermines the rehabilitative focus of the juvenile legal system, leading to greater societal and financial costs without improving public safety.”

All Republican legislators voted in favor of the amendment. All but one Democrat in the state legislature voted against.

Amendment 4

Amendment 4 would require judicial vacancies to be filled in a special election at the earliest available date under state law. If the vacancy occurs within 12 months of the next gubernatorial or congressional election, the special election would coincide with that election. This replaces the current law requiring a special election within 12 months of the vacancy.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana offered the following argument in support in its voter guide: “This technical fix is needed to correspond with the limited closed primary system that lawmakers and the governor approved last year, specifically for a vacancy created if a state Supreme Court justice dies or resigns before the 10-year term is complete. Amending the constitution is a better approach than tweaking the closed primary law. If the law is adjusted instead to allow the governor to call a special election that doesn’t coincide with the regular election calendar, Louisiana could be forced to spend additional dollars to comply with the constitutional mandate to elect a new judge within a year.”

Say No! to Them All,a group opposed to all four measures, said, “The move in Amendment 4 to change the election dates for judges is another ploy to make it easier for Baton Rouge politicians to get their friends elected when few voters are paying attention.”

All Republican legislators voted in favor of the amendment. All but two Democrats in the state legislature voted against.

Odd-year constitutional amendments in Louisiana

From 2003 to 2023, 48 constitutional amendments appeared on the statewide ballot. Voters approved 33 (68.75%) and rejected 15 (31.25%). During this period, an average of four amendments appeared on ballots in Louisiana during odd-numbered years.

Casting a vote

Early voting was scheduled from March 15-22 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. On election day, March 29, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.