Among the issues Governor Jeff Landry wants lawmakers to address is constitutional reform. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio agrees that the 1974 state constitution, which has been amended more than 200 times, needs to be streamlined.
“What we’re hoping they do is that they move items out of the constitution that really should be in statue. There’s a lot of law in there, and that law should be in the law book as opposed to basic governing on how the state should work,” said Procopio.
Landry said the current state constitution is bloated, outdated, antiquated, and much abused.
To hold a constitutional convention to revise one of the country’s longest constitutions with more than 72,000 words, Procopio said the legislature must first approve a bill to hold one, and delegates, which could be lawmakers, would hold hearings and vote on proposed changes.
“Come up with a new constitution, and then that would be presented to the state and then the state would get to vote on it. No matter what they do it’s going to require that citizens get to vote on it,” said Procopio.
Among the most heavily amended sections of the constitution that Procopio said presents hurdles is Article VII, dealing with taxes and spending. For example, he said there are too many restrictions on how you can and can’t add taxes.
“And you’re required to make a constitutional amendment every time you want to change your tax code. Which is really just out there. And I know it comes from a fundamental mistrust of legislators, but at the end of the day legislators have to be able to do their job and then you can vote them out if you don’t like what they did,” said Procopio.
Legislation to hold a constitutional convention must be filed first. As for the particulars of what would be changed to the state’s constitution remains to be seen.
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