Baton Rouge / louisianaradionetwork.com
Three of the four constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot failed, including Amendment One supported by business groups and legislative leaders. Proponents say it would streamline tax collections. But political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says many local governments opposed the measure over concerns they would lose out on tax revenue.
“You can look at the rural areas, the further you got away from big cities the worse it did, of course, Orleans was a large African-American population, kicked it a pretty good,” said Pinsonat.
Voters also rejected Amendments 3 and 4. Amendment three would have increased taxing authority for some local levee districts. Amendment 4 would have allowed lawmakers to cut protected funds during tough budget times. Pinsonat says voters are feeling constitutional amendment fatigue.
“The legislators keep bringing these constitutional amendments every year, just gobs of them, I think the public is tired of them,” said Pinsonat.
Voters approved amendment two. Tax policy expert Jason DeCuir says it’s real tax reform that should be revenue-neutral for the state. He says it will lead to lower income tax rates for individual tax filers and cut taxes for small businesses.
“We will now have some of the lowest rates in the country in both personal income taxes and corporate income tax as well as beginning to phase out the franchise tax,” DeCuir said.
If the amendment had been voted down, the Constitution’s current tax rates would remain and continue to allow the federal taxes paid deduction.
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