Constitutional Convention: What We Need to Know

By Joe Mapes

Louisiana Farm Bureau Legislative Specialist

While I’m not opposed to the governor’s plan to hold a constitutional convention, I do question the timing. The 1973 constitutional convention took two years, and Louisiana is currently considering re-tooling our state’s most precious document in roughly two weeks. Is some voodoo magic gonna occur within that two-week period, or is Louisiana‘s next Constitution already drafted? 

There are lots of provisions in the current constitution that deal directly with the taxes folks in agriculture pay. The delegate body will be comprised of legislators from the senate and the house, as well as some individuals from the private sector. For this newly formed group to gather a consensus on so many complicated issues in such a short period of time will be next to impossible. It would be like trying to herd a bunch of cats in a room full of rocking chairs.

Here’s the concern: Sub-articles in the constitution cannot be opened by themselves. Sub-articles are under their parent article, and that main article has to be opened first. When a main article is opened, all of the contents of its sub-articles are opened thus exposing all of the related industries and professions in each sub-article. As stated by Senate President, Cameron Henry, "Once you're in a Constitutional Convention, you open up the entire Constitution."

Every industry and profession should be lobbying and educating the legislature right now, before any convention begins. There’s just not enough time before May or June to do this - especially during a legislative session. 

A one-to-two-year period is needed so that business and industry has a chance to educate delegates about the importance of their issues that are in the constitution.

If it’s possible that a new constitution has already been written and the delegates are just being handpicked to vote yes for a completely rewritten, new constitution for our state, then there was little to no input from the general public. If an entirely new constitution has been written in advance of any constitutional convention, then who wrote it? These are extremely important questions to have answered.