Friday, October 13, 2006
More Amendments?
BY EMILY METZGAR
Yes, it’s true. There are 8 more amendments for voters to consider in November’s elections. Hopefully more than 22% of registered voters will weigh in this time around…
In anticipation of the Nov. 7 election, PAR has again prepared a document assessing the proposed changes to the state’s constitution. Here’s the PAR Guide.
PAR describes the items to be addressed as:
–”A proposal that would consolidate the seven separate tax assessors in New Orleans into a single, parish-wide office;
–”Four proposals that would make changes to property tax law;
–”A proposal that would allow schools in the community of Central to form a district separate from the East Baton Rouge Parish School District;
–”A proposal that would give the Legislature specific authority to create new family and juvenile judgeships”
As a preface to the discussion of proposed amendments, PAR notes:
The Constitution is considered the fundamental law of the state. It addresses the rights of the citizens and the authority of the government. The concept of the Constitution as a relatively permanent statement of basic law for governing the state, however, fades with the adoption of new amendments. Since 1974, voters have approved 140 out of 202 proposed amendments, which have nearly doubled the length of the Constitution.
