Your Guide to the 10 Constitutional Amendments on Louisiana's Nov. 3 Ballot

Amendment 1: Voters are asked whether the surviving spouse of a veteran with a service-connected disability may make a one-time transfer of the veteran's extra property tax exemption to a new home. A yes vote lets the spouse move once and keep the exemption, capped at the amount claimed on the old home, starting Jan. 1, 2027. A no vote means the spouse must stay in the same house to keep it. Supporters say the change honors veterans' families and lets spouses who lose income downsize without a penalty. Opponents say special exemptions shrink local tax bases and shift the load to other homeowners. Better Louisiana supports it. It says 229 surviving spouses claimed the exemption in 2025. Sponsor: Sen. Franklin Foil (SB 180).

Amendment 2: It would change how local taxing bodies handle millage after a reassessment. Today, a school board or fire district that rolls its rate back after a reassessment and doesn't roll it forward before the next one permanently loses the right to return to the maximum rate. A yes vote ends that use-it-or-lose-it rule. Rolling forward would still take a two-thirds vote of the governing body. A no vote keeps the current deadline. Supporters say the rule pushes local bodies to raise rates they don't need just to protect their authority. Opponents say districts already have enough time to decide, and that open-ended authority leaves taxpayers guessing. Better Louisiana supports it and notes that voters rejected similar proposals in 2022 and 2025. Sponsor: Rep. Roger Wilder (HB 521).

Amendment 3: The question is whether to bar post-conviction bail for anyone convicted of an aggravated offense against a minor. The offenses listed in state law include rape and child sex trafficking. A yes vote removes a judge's discretion to grant bail after conviction, including during an appeal. Bail before or during trial would not change. A no vote leaves the decision with judges. Supporters point to a Baton Rouge case, cited by PAR, in which a man convicted of raping an 8-year-old girl was released before sentencing. Opponents say judges need room to weigh each case, and that judges who abuse that discretion can be voted out. Better Louisiana takes no position. It notes that lawmakers also passed HB 58, a statute that does the same thing and is not written to depend on the amendment passing. Sponsor: Rep. Debbie Villio (HB 51).

Amendment 4: At issue is whether anyone who has served more than one and a half terms as governor should be barred from being elected to the office again. The constitution now limits governors to two consecutive terms, so a two-term governor can return after sitting out a term, as Edwin Edwards did. A yes vote makes two terms a lifetime limit. A no vote keeps the consecutive-term rule. PAR says the change would appear to bar former Govs. John Bel Edwards and Bobby Jindal from running again, though some lawyers think it would apply only to future governors. Nine states, including Arkansas and Mississippi, have lifetime limits. Supporters say a former governor's money and influence crowd out new candidates. Opponents call term limits undemocratic because they keep voters from choosing an experienced candidate. Better Louisiana takes no position. Sponsor: Rep. Mike Bayham (HB 225).

Disclosure: Louisiana Policy Review has published pieces by Rep. Mike Bayham.

Amendment 5: It concerns the state's four public retirement systems, which PAR says owe more than $13 billion in unfunded liabilities. The constitution requires at least 25% of certain one-time state money to go toward that debt, oldest debt first. A yes vote lets each system choose which debt to pay down. The 25% requirement stays. A no vote keeps the oldest-first rule. Supporters say the systems know which payoff saves taxpayers the most. Better Louisiana supports it. Opponents say the oldest debts should be retired in the order they were incurred. Sponsor: Rep. Dixon McMakin (HB 27).

Amendment 6: The question is whether parishes and cities may offer homeowners 65 and older an extra exemption on top of the $75,000 homestead exemption. It would cover the next $60,000 of market value for ages 65 to 68 and rise in steps to $300,000 at 81 and older. It would apply only to seniors who qualify for the special assessment freeze, and only if a local governing body puts it on a later local ballot and voters there approve. The earliest it could take effect is 2028. A no vote keeps current exemptions. Supporters say it would help seniors stay in their homes and is optional for local governments. Opponents say it would shift more of the tax load onto younger homeowners. Better Louisiana opposes it because local governments couldn't change the brackets or amounts or rescind the exemption later. Sponsor: Rep. Les Farnum (HB 514).

Amendment 7: It asks whether local governments may spend public money to find and replace lead drinking-water lines on customers' private property. A yes vote creates an exception to the constitution's ban on donating public funds, and replacement would be optional. A no vote keeps the current rule. The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board sought the change so it can use a $152 million federal loan that requires full replacement of each lead line, including the private side. The attorney general has said the work is already allowed. Supporters say that opinion isn't binding and New Orleans shouldn't risk losing the money over legal doubt. Opponents call the amendment unnecessary and warn it could create expectations that every water system replace private lines. Better Louisiana supports it. Sponsor: Sen. Royce Duplessis (SB 228).

Amendment 8: The question is whether to forbid any private entity that is a foreign adversary, or an agent of one, from expropriating property in Louisiana. PAR says the federal list it relies on includes China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and the Maduro regime in Venezuela. A yes vote adds the ban to the constitution. A no vote keeps current expropriation rules. State law already bars such entities from buying or leasing land here. Supporters say that while there is no known case of such an expropriation, the amendment is a guardrail against one. Opponents say Louisiana wouldn't control the federal list, and that "agent" is broad enough to catch companies with minority foreign ownership or financing. Better Louisiana opposes it, citing business groups' concern that the wording could invite lawsuits against major projects. Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Owen (HB 192).

Amendment 9: It would raise the income limit for the special assessment that freezes a home's assessed value for homeowners 65 and older, certain disabled veterans and others. A yes vote raises the cap from $100,000 to $150,000 starting Jan. 1, 2027, with inflation adjustments from 2028. A no vote keeps the $100,000 limit. Supporters say a higher limit would help retirees on fixed incomes stay put. Opponents say it erodes the local tax base as the population ages. Better Louisiana opposes it, arguing property tax breaks should be local decisions. Sponsor: Rep. Shane Mack (HB 300, 2025 session).

Amendment 10: Voters decide whether local governments may offer a property tax exemption for blighted or derelict property that has been rehabilitated. Under the companion law, a parish could exempt up to 75% of a rehabilitated home's assessed value for as long as 20 years, and vacant land next to a home or business up to 25% for as long as 10 years. A yes vote creates the option, and no parish would be required to use it. A no vote keeps the current list of exemptions. Supporters say it gives owners a reason to fix eyesores. Opponents say the breaks are too large and last too long. Better Louisiana supports it. Sponsor: Rep. Chance Henry (HB 214).

Each amendment is a separate yes-or-no question, so voters can approve some and reject others. Most absentee ballot requests are due to the parish registrar by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30.

Photo: Early voting sign at the Madison Parish Courthouse in Tallulah, by Ktkvtsh, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.