Amendment 1 – 2 1/2 terms in 3 consec.terms not appt/electA vote FOR would impose term limits for members of certain state boards and commissions.
A vote AGAINST would continue to allow members of certain state boards and commissions to be elected or appointed for an unlimited number of terms.
Amendment 2 – Extra Session – 7 calendar days prior
A vote FOR would require that the call for a special legislative session be issued at least seven calendar days prior to the start of the session.
A vote AGAINST would continue the requirement that the call for a special legislative session be issued at least five days prior to the start of the session.
Amendment 3 – Legis.-temp. successor ordered active duty
A vote FOR would allow the legislature to appoint a temporary successor for any legislator called to active military duty that prevents performance of the duties of office.
A vote AGAINST would continue to require districts to be without representation in the case of their elected legislator being called away to active military duty and refusing to resign.
Amendment 4 – Increase gen. severance tax allocat. to parish
A vote FOR would dedicate additional state severance taxes to parishes of origin, restrict the use of a portion of these funds and dedicate a portion of severance taxes collected on state lands to the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund.
A vote AGAINST would maintain the maximum amount of severance tax revenue that has to be paid by the state to parishes at $850,000 adjusted annually for inflation.
Amendment 5 – New Prop. purchased / replace prop. sold
A vote FOR would allow homeowners to transfer any special property tax assessment level to their new homes when their property is sold to or expropriated by the state, federal or local government.
A vote AGAINST would continue to prohibit the transfer of special property tax assessment levels to new properties.
Amendment 6 – Remove certain restrictions on blighted prop
A vote FOR would remove the requirement that public authorities first offer expropriated property back to its prior owner before the property can be sold to a third party if the property was taken to remove a threat to public health or safety and was held for less than 30 years. It also would remove the requirement that such property be sold by public bid and eliminate the opportunity for certain property owners to challenge surplus takings.
A vote AGAINST would maintain the same re-sale requirements for property taken to remove a threat to public health and safety as for property taken for other public purposes.
Amendment 7 – Contributions to post-employ. benefit funds
A vote FOR would allow public funds reserved for non-pension, post-employment benefits to be invested in stocks.
A vote AGAINST would continue to prohibit public funds reserved for non-pension, post-employment benefits from being invested in stocks.
The FOR/AGAINST explanation for the proposed Constitutional Amendments was provided by the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. For a fuller explanation of each Amendment, visit www.la-par.org/studrep_date.cfm.