BATON ROUGE, La. (April 15, 2026) — Leaders for a Better Louisiana on Wednesday released an analysis of five proposed constitutional amendments set to appear on the May 16 ballot, offering support for three measures while taking no position on the remaining two.
The organization said it supports Amendments 3, 4 and 5, and remains neutral on Amendments 1 and 2.
Amendments 3 and 4 revisit portions of a broader rewrite of Article VII of the state constitution that voters rejected in March 2025. That earlier proposal spanned 115 pages and included wide-ranging changes to taxation, spending and trust fund administration, which the group said may have contributed to voter confusion.
Lawmakers later separated two key provisions from the broader measure and reintroduced them as standalone amendments for the upcoming ballot.
One proposal would direct approximately $2 billion from three education trust funds toward reducing debt in the teachers’ retirement system, with savings earmarked for teacher pay raises. The other would give local governments the option to eliminate, phase out or reduce the business inventory tax.
“Amendments #3 and #4 were important pieces of last year’s proposal,” said Adam Knapp, chief executive officer of Better Louisiana. “We hope this year voters will see the value of eliminating debt in the teachers’ retirement system, authorizing permanent pay raises for educators, and giving local governments the tools to make Louisiana’s tax structure more competitive.”
The remaining amendments address changes to the state civil service system, an increase in the mandatory retirement age for judges, and the creation of a new school district in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The organization said its analysis is intended to help voters better understand the implications of each proposal ahead of the election.
“Our hope is that voters will use this guide and other resources that are available to familiarize themselves with the issues before they cast their votes,” said Barry Erwin, chief policy officer.
Early voting is scheduled to begin May 2 and run through May 9.