Opinion ID: 1803783
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Amending the Constitution of Louisiana

Text: Provisions of a constitution regulating its own amendment,    are not merely directory but are mandatory; and a strict observance of every substantial requirement is essential to the validity of the proposed amendment. Graham, 3 So.2d at 782, quoting 16 C.J.S., CONSTITUTIONAL LAW § 7. This general rule governs the restraints which the people have placed in their Constitution upon themselves, their officers, and agents and representatives. Id. Thus, in submitting an amendment to the people, the Legislature is bound by the provisions of our constitution mandating the procedural process for amending the constitution. Article XIII of the 1974 Constitution of Louisiana sets forth the procedure for proposing and adopting constitutional amendments. Article XIII, § 1 of the Louisiana Constitution provides, in full: Section 1. (A) Procedure. An amendment to this constitution may be proposed by joint resolution at any regular session of the legislature, but the resolution shall be prefiled, at least ten days before the beginning of the session, in accordance with the rules of the house in which introduced. An amendment to this constitution may be proposed at any extraordinary session of the legislature if it is within the objects of the call of the session and is introduced in the first five calendar days thereof. If two-thirds of the elected members of each house concur in the resolution, pursuant to all of the procedures and formalities required for passage of a bill except submission to the governor, the secretary of state shall have the proposed amendment published once in the official journal of each parish within not less than thirty nor more than sixty days preceding the election at which the proposed amendment is to be submitted to the electors. Each joint resolution shall specify the statewide election at which the proposed amendment shall be submitted. Special elections for submitting proposed amendments may be authorized by law. (B) Form of Proposal. A proposed amendment shall have a title containing a brief summary of the changes proposed; shall be confined to one object; and shall set forth the entire article, or the sections or other subdivisions thereof, as proposed to be revised or only the article, sections, or other subdivisions proposed to be added. However, the legislature may propose, as one amendment, a revision of an entire article of this constitution which may contain multiple objects or changes. A section or other subdivision may be repealed by reference. When more than one amendment is submitted at the same election, each shall be submitted so as to enable the electors to vote on them separately. (C) Ratification. If a majority of the electors voting on the proposed amendment approve it, the governor shall proclaim its adoption, and it shall become part of this constitution, effective twenty days after the proclamation, unless the amendment provides otherwise. A proposed amendment directly affecting not more than five parishes or areas within not more than five parishes shall become part of this constitution only when approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon in the state and also a majority of the electors voting thereon in each affected parish. However, a proposed amendment directly affecting not more than five municipalities, and only such municipalities, shall become part of this constitution only when approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon in the state and also a majority of the electors voting thereon in each such municipality. La. Const. art. XIII, § 1(A) thus provides that an amendment to this state's constitution may be proposed by a joint resolution at any regular session of the Legislature. Joint resolutions propose amendments to the constitution and must be prefiled, at least ten days before the beginning of the session, in accordance with the rules of the house in which introduced. La. Const. art. XIII, § 1(A); LAMONICA & JONES, supra at § 2.2, p. 13. Joint resolutions are then given bill numbers and are processed as bills, including the designation of an act number by the secretary of state after passage by both houses of the Legislature. See La. Const. arts. III, § 15(A) and XIII, § 1(A) (requiring in addition to the two-thirds vote requirement, that concurrence in the joint resolution must be pursuant to all the procedures and formalities required for passage of a bill except submission to the governor); LAMONICA & JONES, supra . However, joint resolutions are not bills in the technical sense, because joint resolutions are not presented to the governor for executive action. See La. Const. art. III, § 17(B) (No joint, concurrent, or other resolution shall require the signature or other action of the governor to become effective.); LAMONICA & JONES, supra . A joint resolution must pass both houses of the Legislature by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of each house, and then must be ratified by at least a majority of voters to amend the constitution. LAMONICA & JONES, supra . Importantly, joint resolutions must contain a title and are generally confined to one object. Id.; see also, La. Const. art. XIII, § 1(B). The joint resolution must also specify the statewide election at which the proposed amendment will be submitted to the voters, and the secretary of state is mandated to timely publish the language of the proposed amendment in the official journal of each parish. La. Const. art. XIII, § 1(A); LAMONICA & JONES, supra . Moreover, joint resolutions routinely include ballot language summarizing the proposed change, despite the language of the constitution requiring the secretary of state to prepare the ballots for all elections. LAMONICA & JONES, supra, p. 14; see also, La. Const. art. IV, § 7 (including as a duty of the secretary of state to prepare and certify the ballots for all elections). Note, the ballot language need only constitute sufficient information to identify the proposed amendment which the voter is voting for or against. LAMONICA & JONES, supra, p. 14. Further, the publication of the proposed amendment has been deemed as satisfying the due process requirements of notice to voters of its contents. LAMONICA & JONES, supra, p. 14, citing Hotard v. City of New Orleans, 213 La. 843, 35 So.2d 752, 756 (1948), appeal dismissed, 335 U.S. 803, 69 S.Ct. 57, 93 L.Ed. 360 (1948). Finally, when the Legislature submits more than one amendment at the same election, each amendment must be submitted so as to enable the voters to vote on them separately. La. Const. art. III, § 1(B); LAMONICA & JONES, supra, p. 14.