Louisiana voters to decide on constitutional amendments

Louisiana voters will decide on several proposed constitutional amendments during the November 3 midterm elections. Key measures include Amendment 7, which would allow political subdivisions and government agencies to use public funds to identify, inventory, and replace lead water service lines on customer property. This amendment follows a request from the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board to access federal funding for such infrastructure improvements.

Amendment 8 seeks to prohibit private companies connected to countries designated as “foreign adversaries” from expropriating private property in the state. Critics, including the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, have expressed concerns that the definition of a foreign adversary agent is broad enough to impact companies with existing minority foreign ownership and could affect economic development.

Amendment 9 proposes a property tax assessment freeze for homeowners with incomes up to $150,000. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential impact on the tax base for local government agencies, which rely on property taxes to fund public programs and services.