As Louisiana lawmakers continue to mull legislation, a constitutional convention to rework the state’s constitution could begin within the next two weeks, The Center Square reports.
House Bill 800, by Rep. Gerald Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, passed through the House earlier this month and is set to be considered by the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
The proposal sets a tight schedule—with committee hearings held through June and July with a Aug. 1 deadline to present reports to the 171-delegate convention. The convention would have until Aug. 15 to submit a draft of the new constitution to Gov. Jeff Landry. If approved by Landry, voters would consider the new document as part of the Nov. 5 election.
Louisiana’s current constitution has more than doubled in size with amendments since it was originally written in 1974, according to a report by the nonprofit Pelican Institute for Public Policy. There are 72,000 words in the existing document—the fourth-longest nationwide.
