Voters to decide on 14 amendments in November

There will be 14 constitutional amendments on the November 4, ballot awaiting voters’ input. These amendments can be difficult to understand, so the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana helps to spell out just what you are voting for when it comes to these amendments. The full guide and amendment descriptions, as well as arguments both for and against each amendment, can be found at www.parlouisiana.org.
1. Medical Trust fund and healthcare provider base rate
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would give constitutional protection to provisions in the Louisiana Medical Assistance Trust Fund and set a baseline compensation rate for nursing homes and certain other healthcare providers that pay a provider fee.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would not give special constitutional protections to the trust fund or establish a minimum base rate for healthcare providers.
2. Hospital assessment, trust fund and fee formula
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would allow an assessment on hospitals to draw down more federal Medicaid dollars for the institutions and create a Hospital Stabilization Fund, which would be protected in the Constitution from the governor and Legislature.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would leave current hospital funding methods as they are, with no new assessment and no special constitutional fund.
3. Sales of property with delinquent taxes
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would allow local governments the option to use a private firm to assist in the collection of delinquent property taxes and the process of selling property whose owners are tax delinquent.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would keep the current law, which prohibits some forms of outsourced tax collection fees according to recent court rulings.
4. Fund transfers for an infrastructure bank
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would allow the state treasurer to invest public funds into a Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Bank, in the event that such a bank is created.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would not give permission to the state treasurer to invest public funds in a Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Bank.
5. Elimination of the mandatory retirement age of judges
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would eliminate the mandatory retirement age of 70 for judges.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would keep the mandatory retirement age of 70 for judges.
6. Higher millage cap for police and fire protection in Orleans Parish
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would raise the Orleans Parish special millage caps for police and fire protection from five to 10 mills, giving the New Orleans City Council authority to levy additional mills with voter approval.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would keep the Orleans Parish special millage caps for police and fire protection at five mills.
7. Property tax exemption for certain disabled veterans
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would give a bonus homestead exemption to veterans rated with 100 percent “unemployability” in parishes where a similar tax break has been approved by voters.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would mean that veterans who are rated 100 percent unemployable but less than 100 percent disabled would not receive the additional homestead exemption.
8. Artificial Reef Development Fund
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would establish the Artificial Reef Development Fund in the Constitution and prohibit using its money for purposes other than those described in the amendment.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would leave the fund as it currently exists—as a statutory entity—which allows it to be “swept” when the government needs money to balance the state’s budget.
9. Tax exemption reporting for permanently disabled residents
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would eliminate the requirement that homeowners under the age of 65 who are permanently disabled must certify every year that their income meets the threshold for an assessment freeze.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would mean that permanently disabled homeowners under the age of 65 would have to continue to certify each year that their income meets the requirements for the freeze.
10. Tax sale of vacant, blighted or abandoned property
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would require each parish to shorten the redemption period for vacant blighted or abandoned property sold at a tax sale to 18 months after the sale has been recorded.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would leave the redemption period as is—three years from the date the sale has been recorded—except in Orleans Parish, which already has an 18-month redemption period.
11. Increases the number of state departments from 20 to 21
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would increase the limit of allowed state government departments from 20 to 21, effectively creating a Department of Elderly Affairs.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would leave the current limit in place but would not necessarily prevent the future creation of a Department of Elderly Affairs.
12. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission membership
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would change the membership of the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to require that two at-large members come from parishes north of a line created by Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Evangeline and Pointe Coupee.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would leave the membership as it currently stands—with three members from the coastal parishes and four selected from the state at large.
13. Orleans Lower Ninth Ward vacant property
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would allow government-owned property in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans to be sold to specified classes of buyers at a nominal rate to be established by the Legislature.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would not allow this type of property sale in the Lower Ninth Ward.
14. Tax rebates, incentives and abatements
FOR: A vote in favor of this amendment would forbid the introduction of legislation related to tax rebates, tax incentives or tax abatements in even-numbered years when the Legislature holds a general session and specifically allow such legislation in odd-numbered years during fiscal sessions.
AGAINST: A vote against this amendment would mean legislators could continue to introduce legislation related to tax rebates, tax incentives or tax abatements in general sessions.