For Immediate Release – September 17, 1998
Contact: James C. Brandt, President & CEO
(504) 525-4152, ext. 12October 3 Election Ballot Loaded with Constitutional Amendments
Voters statewide will face a record number of Constitutional Amendments on the October 3 election ballot. The 18 proposed amendments on the ballot are analyzed in a report released today by the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR).
"Our goal in this report is to help citizens sort through a large number of often complex and sometimes arcane issues," according to Jim Brandt, President of BGR. "With such a crowded ballot, we run the danger of reverting to the old days of citizens voting against everything or not voting at all," he added.
BGR’s report, which summarizes all 18 amendments, focuses more of its attention on the proposals which would have the most significant impact on the New Orleans region and those which address statewide fiscal issues. Of the 18 amendments on the ballot, BGR takes no position on 9 proposals, it supports 5, and opposes 3 others, as the following table indicates:
Number Subject BGR Position 1 Establishes community collage system Support 2 Increases parish severance tax allocation No Position 3 Grants Legislature oversight of Charity Hospitals No Position 4 Establishes crime victims’ rights in Constitution No Position 5 Modifies "Rainy Day" Fund and uses of nonrecurring money Support 6 Broadens basis to deny bail in criminal cases No Position 7 Establishes State Infrastructure Bank Support 8 Freezes property tax assessment for seniors Oppose 9 Places prohibition against a convicted felon holding
elective or appointed office for 15 years unless pardonedNo Position 10 Prohibits State Courts from levying state or local taxes No Position 11 Declares Louisiana a sovereign state No Position 12 Establishes more public notice for millage roll-up Support 13 Establishes more public notice for millage roll-up money
to deal with imminent floodsNo Position 14 Changes jury requirements and allows combining certain
crimes together in one trialNo Position 15 Allows local governments to forgive back taxes on blighted
property if approved renovations take placeSupport 16 Extends property tax assessment freeze for an additionla five
years for renovated residential property in a downtown districtOppose 17 Allows property in New Orleans to be sold at tax sale for
less than minimum bidSupport 18 Allows the Town of Vidalia to exempt most property
owners from municipal property taxOppose "BGR is concerned not only about the large number of amendments facing voters but also questions the need or relevance of several of the proposed amendments," according to Brandt. "It would seem that some of these issues could be better addressed through legislation, rather than loading up the Constitution with specific details that have very limited application," he added.
BGR’s report on the October 3 Constitutional Amendments may be obtained by calling 525-4152 or by visiting BGR’s web site at www.bgr.org.
BGR is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit citizen-supported research organization founded in 1932 and dedicated to informed public policy-making and the effective use of public resources in the New Orleans metropolitan area.u
BGR assumes no responsibility for content outside the domain bgr.org.