Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wants to hold a convention to rewrite the state's constitution, and one lawmaker has already filed a bill to end the legislative session early to begin the process.
New Iberia's Beau Beaullieu has already filed the bill, which would bring the current session to an end weeks early, and start the constitutional convention on May 20.
Jeremy Alford, publisher of LaPolitics Weekly, says some lawmakers are concerned about that time table.
"So lawmakers would literally end the regular session and go right into a constitutional convention," Alford said.
Beaullieu's proposal is for a convention with delegates made up for state lawmakers and more than two dozen delegates appointed by Landry.
Alford said the 1974 constitution also had appointees from Gov. Edwin Edwards.
"The difference then though was that delegates were elected by the public," Alford said. "This time, it looks like politicians, already elected to the legislature, will serve as the lion's share of the delegates."
Another difference is that the convention that produced the 1974 document took more than a year to complete its work. Beaullieu's proposal sets a deadline of July 15.
Alford says one of the goals of rewriting the constitution is to make it so that if lawmakers have to cut spending in times when state revenue is low, those cuts can be spread out and not fall on only higher education and healthcare.
"Every time lawmakers have to make dire budget cuts, they end up cutting higher ed and healthcare," said Alford, "because there are protections for most other things in the constitution that lawmakers cannot tinker with."
Other areas of interest include local government and natural resources.
