Louisiana could get a new constitution this year
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Louisiana residents could vote on a new constitution later this year if Gov. Jeff Landry-backed legislation makes its way through the statehouse.
Why it matters: Lawmakers expect to vote on a bill in committee Wednesday calling for a new constitutional convention during the current legislative session.
The big picture: Voters approved Louisiana's constitution in 1974, and it has since become a much larger and more unwieldy document.
- As such, "there is something in there for everyone to hate," says the Invest in Louisiana's Jan Moller.
- One oft-cited issue is that, to fill budget shortfalls, politicians are left with few options to shuffle funding thanks to the more than two dozen protected funds.
State of play: A constitutional rewrite would put the entire document up for edits at a time when the statehouse is led by a Republican House, Senate and governor, potentially leading to a broad shift in how the state manages itself.
- If lawmakers do create a new constitution, voters will have the final say in November.
Between the lines: Louisiana has a 0.45-cent sales tax due to expire in spring 2025, which could leave Landry a massive hole to fill in the state budget.
Friction point: When the bill calling for the constitutional convention was first up for debate, Democrat and Republican detractors raised concerns about the proposed speed, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reports.
- In its current form, bill author Rep. Beau Beaullieu calls for the convention to take place over just two weeks during what's already considered the busiest time of the regular session.
- That's a far cry from the full year legislators used to write the 1974 edition.
Zoom in: Because much of the debate so far has focused on the process, little has been revealed about goals for new content.
- To that end, Beaullieu says he doesn't want a "rewrite" but a "reprioritization," according to the LSU Manship School News Service's reporting.
What's next: If the bill passes through committee as Beaullieu expects, according to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, it would head to the full House for debate before landing in front of the state Senate.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say the constitutional convention vote is Wednesday (not Tuesday) and to note that Jan Moller works with Invest in Louisiana (previously known as the Louisiana Budget Project).