Parish voters rejected all four constitutional amendments on last Saturday’s Municipal Primary Election ballot by a slim margin with only 17% of registered voters casting ballots. Amendments 1, 2 and 4 failed parishwide by a 2% margin, while Amendment 4 recorded 53% of voters against.
Statewide, voters decisively rejected all four amendments.
Amendment 1 sought to add to the constitution the Louisiana Supreme Court’s authority to discipline out-of-state lawyers for legal work in the state and expand the Legislature’s authority to create specialty courts not limited to parish and judicial district boundaries.
The failure of this amendment retains the current provisions governing the Louisiana Supreme Court’s oversight of lawyer discipline and keeps the Louisiana Legislature’s authority to create specialty courts limited to parish and judicial district boundaries.
Parish votes cast were 3,090 against and 2,915 for. Statewide, votes were 412,082 against and 221,334 for.
Amendment 2 sought to rewrite large portions of the Louisiana Constitution article dealing with revenue collections, the state budget process, savings accounts and taxation rules.
Parish votes cast were 3,046 against and 2,975 for. Statewide, votes were 410,083 against and 224,085 for.
The passage of Amendment 3 would have removed the list of 16 crimes for which people under the age of 17 can be charged as adults from the Louisiana Constitution, allowing lawmakers to more easily expand the list of felony offenses in law.
Parish votes cast were 3,204 against and 2,789 for. Statewide, there were 419,366 against and 212,324 for.
Amendment 4 would have changed the timing requirements for filling a judicial vacancy or newly created judgeship, so the special election would coincide with the regular elections calendar. The failure of the amendment will keep election rules for filling a judicial vacancy or newly created judgeship that require the special election to be held and a judge to be seated within 12 months after the vacancy begins.
Parish votes cast were 3,065 against and 2,022 for. Statewide totals were 401,499 against and 229,597 for.
The amendments were the only item on parish ballots.
