Latest news with #ArticleVII
American Press
07-05-2025
- Business
- American Press
Teacher stipends survive committee, could be headed to House floor for a vote
By Nolan McKendry | The Center Square Louisiana lawmakers are moving forward this week with a more targeted version of the defeated Amendment 2, which voters rejected in March for being overly complex and far-reaching. On Monday, the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee advanced House Bill 678, a pared-down constitutional amendment that focuses solely on consolidating the state's two primary savings accounts and a companion bill that would fund $2,000 stipends for the state's teachers. HB678, which passed without objection, is a substitute for the original HB472 and is a central piece of lawmakers' effort to revive key elements of the failed 130-page rewrite of Article VII. The new version is significantly shorter — just five pages of actual bill language and three pages of digest — and is framed as a 'single-issue' measure. 'This particular amendment—of course when I first drafted it—it was still part of the Article VII rewrite, which was very, very lengthy,' Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, told the committee. 'But we always intended on making it smaller. I was just trying to meet the bill filing deadlines. In Ways and Means, we amended it down to just the fund combination.' The proposed amendment would merge the Budget Stabilization Fund (commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund) with the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, and repeal the latter. It would also eliminate current caps on mineral revenues flowing into the general fund, thereby potentially increasing recurring revenue for the state. 'If you remember in Amendment 2, we were combining our two savings accounts,' Emerson said. 'This is the statutory companion. This allows us to grow that fund to about $3 billion. It's a single issue. I would say pretty simple, but obviously, it's a little bit legal — talking about Revenue Stabilization and Budget Stabilization — but that is exactly what the language says we're doing.' The amendment proposes changes to several sections of Article VII of the state constitution and would go before voters on Nov. 3, 2026, a date chosen to coincide with a high-turnout election cycle. The measure is part of a broader effort to revive fiscal reforms contained in the failed March amendment, but this time through standalone bills to avoid overwhelming voters. A companion bill, HB473, which also passed committee without objection, would reallocate savings generated by HB678 to pay down the state's unfunded liabilities in the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana. That move is intended to eventually fund $2,000 stipends for teachers —though those payments would not arrive until November 2026 at the earliest.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. House, Senate standoff over Trump agenda escalates Lawsuit seeks to block Louisiana tax amendment from March ballot Bipartisan group of senators travel to Israel Federal funding freeze may make it hard to fight wildfires Federal workers protest job cuts in 'Not Our President's Day' rally Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
