(The Center Square) — The Louisiana Public Affairs Council released a guide to the five constitutional amendments on the Nov. 5 and Dec. 7 ballots.
Amendment 1, and the only amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot, dedicates offshore alternative energy money to coastal protection.
A vote in favor means all federal money Louisiana receives for offshore renewable energy production will be deposited into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund.
A vote against means that money can go into the state General Fund, where it can be spent on any legislative priority.
Amendment 1 on the Dec. 7 ballot is used to expand and retool judicial supervision, according to the guide.
Voting for the amendment adds five members to the State Judiciary Commission and gives the Louisiana Supreme Court authority to direct investigations into misconduct allegations.
If the amendment fails to pass, authority over judicial ethics and discipline are limited to the recommendations of the commission.
Amendment 2 requires lawmakers to wait before passing budget bills.
Legislators would have to wait at least 48 hours to review and decide on proposed amendments to bills appropriating money.
Without this amendment lawmakers can take a final vote on finance bills and send them to the governor any time during a legislative session.
In Amendment 3, the Legislature via a two-thirds vote can extend a regular session in increments of two days up to a maximum of six days if necessary to pass a bill appropriating money.
Currently the House and Senate meet over an 85 calendar day period in even numbered years and a 60 calendar day period in odd numbered years. It would stay that way with a no vote.
Amendment 4 shifts Louisiana from a tax sale process to a tax lien auction process when a property owner hasn’t paid property taxes and the local government wants to satisfy the tax debt.
The difference between the two is that a tax lien auction transfers the right to collect unpaid property taxes to a private buyer, while a tax deed sale transfers ownership of the property to the highest bidder.
A vote no keeps Louisiana’s tax sale process in place for local governments seeking to satisfy a tax debt when a property owner hasn’t paid property taxes.
