Lawsuit seeks to block Louisiana tax amendment from March ballot
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A lawsuit filed Monday is seeking to prevent a proposed constitutional amendment on tax and budget reform from appearing on Louisiana's March 29 ballot, arguing that the measure is too broad and the ballot language is misleading.
The lawsuit, filed by a pastor and two educators from East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes, challenges House Bill 7, a sweeping tax reform measure passed during last November's special legislative session. The proposal would revise Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution, consolidating state funds, restructuring tax exemptions, and addressing state spending limits.
The plaintiffs argue that the measure violates the Louisiana Constitution's 'one object' rule, which requires constitutional amendments to focus on a single subject unless they revise an entire article. While HB7 does propose extensive changes to Article VII, the lawsuit claims some sections remain untouched, making it a partial revision rather than a full one.
The lawsuit also alleges that the ballot language misrepresents key aspects of the amendment, framing it in a positive light while omitting significant changes, including:
Teacher pay: The ballot summary suggests the amendment would provide a 'permanent teacher salary increase,' but the lawsuit argues that it only makes a temporary stipend permanent, rather than adding new salary increases.
Religious tax exemptions: The ballot states it 'retains' tax exemptions for religious organizations, but the lawsuit claims it actually narrows them, limiting which properties qualify.
Education funding: The lawsuit highlights that several education trust funds would be eliminated, including those supporting early childhood education and STEM programs.
Sales taxes: The lawsuit argues that local governments could lose control over some sales tax decisions, contradicting the amendment's suggestion that property tax exemptions are being preserved.
The plaintiffs include Rev. Willie Calhoun Jr. of East Baton Rouge Parish, a pastor and former state legislative candidate; Jacob Newsom of Orleans Parish, a high school teacher; and Amy Hession of East Baton Rouge Parish, an educator with 20 years of experience in public schools. They argue that the proposed changes would have negative consequences for Louisiana's education system, eliminating funding that supports public and private schools.
The suit seeks a declaratory judgment that the ballot language is unlawful and requests an injunction preventing the amendment from being voted on. Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry is named as a defendant, as her office oversees state elections.
Gov. Jeff Landry, who backed the tax reform package, has defended the amendment as necessary to stabilize Louisiana's fiscal future and reduce the burden of personal income tax. Supporters argue that the proposal will modernize Louisiana's tax code and simplify state financial management.
The lawsuit, however, contends that rushing a 109-page constitutional overhaul through a short special session has left voters without a clear understanding of its implications.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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