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Louisiana Voters Reject All Five Constitutional Amendments

Lawmakers now face budget and policy debates without the ballot measures as tools.

Overview

  • The five-measure ballot, decided Saturday, failed statewide, with civil service and judicial-age proposals drawing about 78% and 77% no votes.
  • The education funding plan to use three state trust funds to finance permanent raises of about $2,250 for teachers and $1,125 for support staff failed 58% to 42%, leaving future pay hikes to budget talks.
  • A bid to let the new City of St. George form its own school district lost statewide, with East Baton Rouge voters rejecting it by about 70% to 25%.
  • Voters turned down parish authority to cut or exempt property taxes on business inventory, a change supporters said would help compete for jobs but opponents warned could shrink local revenue.
  • A separate plan to let lawmakers move some state jobs out of civil service protections fell hard, keeping hiring and firing rules under the independent commission.