How to vote on these 4 state amendments?

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Amendment #1: Veto override adjustments This proposal aims to clarify the governor’s veto process and address a legal dispute that came up during legislative sessions held in 2022. There is confusion about when the Louisiana Legislature needs to hold a separate veto override session and when they can vote to reject the governor’s vetoes as part of a lawmaking session already underway. In 2022, Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed a bill that redrew the state’s congressional district boundaries, but only included one seat with mostly Black voters. Edwards thought the map should have two majority-Black districts. Lawmakers had approved this congressional map during a special political redistricting session, but the legislature was in the middle of a new session, held shortly after the redistricting session, when they got the opportunity to overturn the governor’s veto. Lawmakers and their staff had differing opinions about whether they had to schedule a special, veto override session to overturn Edwards’ decision on the maps, or if they could vote to overturn the veto as part of the regular legislative session that was underway. In the end, the legislators decided to suspend their regular legislative session and hold a daylong, veto override session to overturn Edwards’ veto. If this amendment passes, lawmakers would no longer have to break from ongoing sessions to hold special veto override sessions. The lawmakers would be able to vote to overturn a veto as part of the regular business of a session that has already convened. This constitutional amendment was placed on the ballot after passing the legislature unanimously. The sponsor of the legislation, proposed in 2022, was Rep. Greg Miller

Amendment #2: Unused state accounts This proposal would repeal six special state funds no longer in use: the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund, Higher Education Louisiana Partnership Fund, Millennium Leverage Fund, Agricultural and Seafood Products Support Fund, First Use Tax Trust Fund and Louisiana Investment Fund for Enhancement. Repealing these funds would have no substantial effect on the state’s finances or how the governor and lawmakers spend state dollars. Five have no money in them. The sixth, the Louisiana Investment Fund for Enhancement, has a balance of $640, according to PAR. If the funds are repealed, the $640 remaining would be transferred to the state general fund. Rep. Polly Thomas, R-Metairie, brought the legislation for this amendment. It passed the House and Senate unanimously.

Amendment #3: First responder property tax exemption This amendment would allow a local government authority, such as a parish council or school board, to approve a property tax break for first responders equivalent to the taxes collected on $25,000 of their home value. This break would come on top of the first $75,000 taken out of home values for tax purposes already through the state’s homestead exemption. Qualified first responders include: sheriffs, police officers and other types of law enforcement; firefighters, including some who work on a volunteer basis; some emergency medical services workers, dispatchers and operators; and other full-time employees involved with emergency rapid response services, according to PAR. Parishes and other local governments would be prohibited from trying to make up the revenue lost through another tax, fee or property reappraisal. Proponents of this amendment believe it might help attract people to work in fields, such as law enforcement, that face employee shortages. Opponents believe the measure will continue to chip away at the tax base of local governments. There are already 200,000 homes that receive additional tax breaks based on an owner’s status as a military veteran, senior citizen or a person with disabilities, among other factors. Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, sponsored the legislation for this constitutional amendment, which passed with bipartisan support.

Amendment #4: More protection for state savings This change would put more restrictions on money withdrawals from one of the state’s savings accounts. The governor and legislators fill this savings account, called the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, with higher-than-expected business tax collections, particularly from the oil and gas industry. Established in 2016, the fund currently has a balance of $2.2 billion, according to PAR. This trust fund is the second of two major state savings accounts. Another one, the Budget Stabilization Fund, is better known as the rainy day fund. The rainy day fund contains $900 million and mostly receives deposits when the state ends its annual budget cycle with a revenue surplus. By law, legislators and the governor must put funding into the rainy day fund every time they end the year with extra money. Both savings accounts can be accessed to deal with budget shortfalls, though this amendment would make it harder to withdraw large sums of money from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to deal with financial deficits and emergencies. Currently, the fund can essentially be drained entirely with a two-thirds vote of the legislature. The amendment would require lawmakers to first tap into the rainy day fund to deal with any budget shortfall before tapping into this trust fund. If a deficit remained after rainy day funding was used, then the lawmakers would only be able to remove up to $250 million from the revenue stabilization fund to fill a gap in the current budget cycle. If the gap was in the next budget cycle, they could only remove $250 million or as much money from the revenue stabilization fund as was needed to fill the financial hole — whichever is lower. Even if the amendment is approved, a provision allowing the legislature to drain the trust fund for purposes other than a budget deficit or an emergency would remain. With a two-thirds vote, legislators can take money from the revenue stabilization fund to spend on the state construction budget or infrastructure at any point. Rep. Stuart Bishop, R-Lafayette, proposed the legislation for this amendment, which passed the legislature unanimously.

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