The Louisiana House and Senate will this afternoon take up several bills calling for a constitutional convention in the near future, thus beginning the long and arduous process of revising the Louisiana Constitution.
The measures—two from the Senate and five in the House—are on today’s agendas for both chambers’ governmental affairs committees.
Louisiana’s last constitutional convention was in 1973, not counting the fiscally concentrated convention in 1992. The dialogue for another convention, which proponents say would serve as a long-term fix for the state’s budget crisis, has grown over the past few years with the sequence of special sessions.
Opponents argue the process, which has no guarantee of success, could ultimately be a waste of time and money.
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry supports a constitutional convention. “We need to take a hard look at our constitution,” said LABI Vice President Jim Patterson. “It seems to be what we keep bumping up against.”
LABI is working closely with Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, who has authored a bill that proposes 105 delegates be elected from the representative election districts they live in, along with over two dozen appointees from different interest groups.
This contrasts with proposals of other lawmakers, such as Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Baton Rouge, who wants the convention to be made up of bipartisan, bicameral groups of eight legislators from each Board of Elementary and Secondary Education district. Patterson said he prefers Abramson’s method because it does not create an “automatic set-up.”
The Louisiana Budget Project does not plan to get involved in the debate for whether there should be a constitutional convention. “We’re not opposed to them, but definitely not supporting,” said LBP Director Jan Moller. “Our concern is that it not be a distraction from the task at hand, which is balancing the budget (before July 1).”
Americans for Prosperity Louisiana Director John Kay said his organization hasn’t yet signed on to a convention bill this session, but it could eventually. “We need to do something to fix the structure of the budget long-term to help us get out of this year-to-year crisis,” said Kay. “At some point in time, probably sooner rather than later, it’s necessary.”
Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, Sen. Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, and Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, are also sponsoring convention bills that will be heard this afternoon.
Jeremy Alford will publish a daily update throughout the legislative special session on Daily Report PM. Alford reports on Louisiana politics at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
