Jeremy Alford & David Jacobs: Amendments keep coming despite losses in elections

Watching Louisiana voters repeatedly shoot down their amendments over the past two years has not dampened the Legislature’s enthusiasm to keep trying. 
Lawmakers filed 42 bills this year calling for constitutional amendments, compared to 28 last year. Ten made it through the process, with all but one destined for the November election, where they could easily get lost among the myriad federal, state and local races on that massive ballot. 
A measure to limit governors to two lifetime terms probably attracted the most attention of any amendment that was able to secure the necessary two-thirds vote in each chamber to advance to the polls, while four deal with property taxes and two with the courts. 
The amendments voters will consider in November are as follows: 
• HB 27 by Rep. Dixon McMakin: When state government has a surplus, lawmakers not only are constitutionally required to pay down some of the state’s debt, they’re required to address the oldest debt first.
But that’s not always the most actuarially advantageous move, McMakin told the House Appropriations Committee. 
“There are some debts that create more recurring revenue if you pay them down,” House Appropriations Chair Jack McFarland said. “So it would be advantageous for us to have the option of which retirement debt we would like to pay down.” 
• HB 51 by House Criminal Justice Chair Debbie Villio: Would deny post-conviction bail to people convicted of aggravated offenses against minor children.
Those offenses are listed in R.S. 15:541 and include rape, kidnapping, molestation and human trafficking. 
• HB 192 by Rep. Charles Owen: Would prohibit the expropriation of private property by “foreign adversaries,” as defined by the federal government. 
“We had input from the FBI about the encroaching threat from our adversaries, and mostly it was about the People’s Republic Of China,” Owen told House Civil Law and Procedure.
“There was a little bit about Russia and some others, but it was mostly about the encroachment of the Chinese Communist Party infiltrating various aspects of our society and our infrastructure.” 
• HB 214 by Rep. Chance Henry: Would give local governments the ability to establish a property tax exemption for formerly blighted properties that have been rehabilitated, under rules that the Legislature would create. 
“We have voted to give corporations tax exemptions time and time again,” Henry said in Ways and Means. “With this bill, we’re going to give a property tax exemption to a young family, and give this tool to a municipality so that they can revitalize a community.”
• HB 225 by Rep. Mike Bayham: Would limit governors to two terms total, as opposed to the current limit of two consecutive terms.
There was some debate in the Senate when the bill passed about whether it would apply retroactively, and therefore to living former Govs. Bobby Jindal and John Bel Edwards; that could become a question for the courts, if Edwards decides to fulfil Democrats’ fantasies of another run from him. 
“We should never have it where a governor who served two terms has it in his own political best interest to see his or her successor fail,” Bayham told the House.
• HB 514 by Rep. Les Farnum: Would let local governments, with voter approval, boost the homestead exemption for homeowners aged 65 or older, with the allowed exemption increasing incrementally by age bracket.
Farnum said his goal was to help seniors who have “paid their taxes very diligently throughout the years” and might need some extra help to stay in their homes in retirement. 
• HB 521 by Rep. Roger Wilder: Would undo current law whereby if taxing authorities don’t levy the full amount that voters have authorized at least once during the four years between reassessments, the maximum they did levy becomes the new limit.
Assessors say this quirk in the system gives taxing bodies an incentive to use the maximum millage allowed, even if it isn’t needed, because they might need that money later. 
• SB 180 by Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Chair Franklin Foil: This amendment deals with the expanded homestead exemption for veterans with service-connected disabilities. If the veteran dies, their spouse would be able to transfer the exemption to a new property, but only once. 
• SB 228 by Sen. Royce Duplessis: Would authorize political subdivisions to use public funds by political subdivisions to identify, inventory, remove or replace drinking water utility service lines made of hazardous materials such as lead, copper and galvanized steel or iron on private property owned by utility customers. 
• SB 68 by Senate Judiciary C Chair Jay Morris: Grants the Louisiana Supreme Court jurisdiction to discipline attorneys who don’t typically practice in the state but have been admitted by a court for a particular matter.
Will go before the voters in April.
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