Understanding The Constitutional Amendments On The October Ballot

If I could rewrite the laws of the land I would make sure they are written to the current reading level of the average American and Louisiana citizen. That would certainly make it easier for most voters to actually understand the verbiage of proposed laws and constitutional amendments before they cast their vote in favor or opposed.

This October there will be four proposed changes to Louisiana's Constitution. Chances are if you read each amendment as it is written on your ballot you might get confused. I know I did. So, let's see if we can't offer some clarity on those issues.

Amendment 1 - Property Tax Exemption for Stored Materials Routed for Outer Continental Shelf Amendment (October 2019): A yes vote will create a tax exemption for certain goods for oil and gas companies. 

Amendment 2-  Education Excellence Fund Uses Amendment (October 2019): A yes vote on this amendment would allow Louisiana Public Broadcasting and three alternative schools access to Education in Excellence funds. 

Amendment 3-  Board of Tax Appeals Jurisdiction Amendment (October 2019): A yes vote will allow the creation of a Governor-appointed board to rule on questions of constitutionality in regards to tax questions. Note: Members of this board would not be elected but appointed.

Amendment 4-  New Orleans Affordable Housing Property Tax Exemption Amendment (October 2019)  A yes vote would allow property tax exemptions for certain housing projects in New Orleans. It is on the statewide ballot because it involves property taxes. 

If you are still not sure whether a "yes" actually means a "no" or you don't understand what you're voting for or against the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana does a great job of explaining issues such as constitutional amendments in plain speak. I do hope you'll spend a few minutes understanding these issues before you cast an early vote or head to polls on October 12th.