SEVEN CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS & PROPOSITION ON NOV. 3 BALLOT

Ballot language for each amendment starts by asking, “Do You Support an Amendment … ?“

1 – “ … Declaring that, to protect human life, a right to abortion and funding of abortion shall not be found in the Louisiana Constitution?” YES VOTE WOULD: State that nothing in the Constitution protects a right to abortion. NO VOTE WOULD:  Leave the Constitution as is, with no specific language on abortion.

2 – “… To permit the presence or production of oil or gas to be included in methodology to determine fair market value of an oil or gas well for the purpose of property assessment?”   YES VOTE WOULD: Allow for a well’s oil and gas production when valuing it for property tax assessment. NO VOTE WOULD: Keep the current methods of assessment, which do not take into consideration the well’s production. (Note: Both tax assessors and the energy industry support a YES vote.)

3 – “…To allow for use of the Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, for state costs associated with a disaster declared by the federal government? YES VOTE WOULD:  Allow the state to tap into the Rainy Day Fund for such disasters; federal money would later repay the fund. NO VOTE WOULD: Continue to restrict the Rainy Day Fund as originally intended -- to make up for revenue shortfalls, which occur regularly.

4 – “… To limit the growth of the expenditure limit for the state general fund and dedicated funds and to remove the calculation of its growth factor from the Constitution?” YES VOTE WOULD: Create a new state budget spending limit, probably resulting in slower growth. NO VOTE WOULD:  Continue the current method for limiting expenditures, which allows the legislature more flexibility to balance the budget and protect key services – such as health care and higher education.

5 – “… To authorize local governments to enter into cooperative endeavor ad valorem tax emption agreements with new or expanding manufacturing establishments in lieu of taxes?”   YES VOTE WOULD: Provide new options for local governments to incentivize manufacturers and schedule payments instead of property taxes for industrial expansions. NO VOTE WOULD: Leave in place the current system of industrial tax exemptions as incentives for manufacturers. (Note: Many local government associations such as school boards recommend a YES vote. Many assessors, believing the amendment would give away too much to industries, recommend NO.)

6 – “ … To increase the maximum amount of income a person may receive and still qualify for the special assessment level for residential property receiving the homestead exemption?” YES VOTE WOULD: Allow homeowners with incomes up to $100,000 to qualify for the property tax assessment freeze. NO VOTE WOULD: Keep the current income threshold for the property tax assessment  freeze.  That threshold is currently $77,030, adjusted each year for inflation.

7 – “… To Create the Louisiana Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund to preserve the money that remains unclaimed by its owner or owners?”   YES VOTE WOULD: Protect unclaimed property in a new trust fund controlled and used for investments by the state treasurer. NO VOTE WOULD: Keep the current system, which benefits the state general fund with about $12 million annually.

BALLOT PROPOSITION -- “Shall sports wagering activities and operations be permitted in the parish of _____?” YES VOTE WOULD: Permit sports wagering in the voter’s parish and allow state and local governments to regulate sports betting -- and tax it. NO VOTE WOULD: Forbid sports wagering in the voter’s home parish.

For more information and analysis, go to the non-partisan Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, www.parlouisiana.org.