A breakdown of the ballot’s Consitutional Amendments

Along with voting for a new United States President and U.S. Senator, Louisiana voters can also expect to see six amendments on their November 8th ballot that will affect the entire state.
The first amendment voters will make a decision on is House Bill (HB) 459, which is an amendment to establish new requirements for local registrars of voters.
Louisiana’s current constitution provides that the governing authority of each parish, which would be the police jury in Evangeline Parish, shall appoint a registrar of voters.
If a voter cast a yes vote for HB 459 that means that you wish to add qualifications such as professional and educational experience to the qualifications for someone being appointed to the position of registrar of voters. If you vote no, then you are voting to make no changes to the law as it reads today.
The second amendment, which is titled Establish Tuition Without Legislative Approval, will be concerning tuition and fee autonomy, or right of self-government, for college management boards, and is Senate Bill (SB) 80.
Voting yes for SB 80, will mean that you are in favor of allowing the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University, Southern University, University of Louisiana schools, and the Community and Technical Colleges to have the authority to establish the tuition and mandatory fee amounts charged by the institutions without legislative approval.
If someone votes no for SB 80, that means that they wish to keep the current process of adding fees or increasing fees and tuition the same. At this time, any fees or increases made for college tuition can only be done with the enactment of a law that is passed by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
The third amendment -- HB 31 -- will be concerning eliminating the deductibility of federal income taxes paid in computing state corporate income taxes.
Currently, the La. Constitution allows corporations to use federal income taxes paid as a deductible item in computing state income taxes for the same period.
By voting yes for HB 31, you are saying that you are in favor of eliminating this deductible item for corporations in Louisiana when calculating state income taxes. Passing this amendment will also create a flat corporate tax rate of 6.5 percent for corporations.
Voting no will means that you wish to leave the existing law in place as is.
The fourth amendment on the ballot, which is HB 505 and is titled Homestead Exemption-Surviving Spouse, if passed will provide an exemption from ad valorem taxes for the total assessed value of a homestead for the surviving spouse of a person who died while on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Louisiana National Guard. This act will also provide the same exemption for the spouse of someone who dies while performing their duties as a state police officer, law enforcement officer, or fire protection officer.
According to Louisiana Congressman and author of this bill Mike Johnson, “The spouse will receive the ad valorem tax exemption until they remarry.”
Johnson also said, “If the unmarried surviving spouse moves, they will only get an exemption up to the value of the home they lived in at the time of their spouses death.”
Voting no will not allow unmarried surviving spouses to receive this ad valorem tax exemption.
When it comes to the fifth amendment on the ballot -- HB 603 --, voters will be deciding if they are in favor or not in favor of allowing the state to create a revenue stabilization trust fund.
If you vote yes, you will be saying that you are in favor of creating this trust fund, which will receive its revenues from a portion of corporate and mineral taxes. The money going into the revenue stabilization trust fund will be spent on construction projects and transportation infrastructure, and allocated recurring mineral revenues will go to the payment of state employee retirement debt.
The sixth amendment that all Louisiana voters will see on their November 8th ballot is SB 201, which will be titled Use Funds to Eliminate Projected Deficits.
If you vote yes for this amendment, that will mean that you are in favor of allowing the state to tap into constitutionally protected funds during revenue downturn years. This amendment also specifically states five funds that the money cannot come from. Those funds are: monies in the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund, any healthcare provider fees or assessments in the Hospitalization Stabilization Fund or the Louisiana Medical Assistance Trust Fund, funds in the Oilfield Site Restoration Fund, funds in the Conservation Fund, and supplements to salaries of full-time local law enforcement and fire protection officers.
By voting no, you will be saying that you do not wish to allow the state to use constitutionally protected funds when revenues are down in the state.
Early voting begins on Tuesday, October 25th, and will be held through Tuesday, November 1st, excluding Sunday, October 30th.