A bill to call a constitutional convention in 13 days to change the Louisiana constitution passed the state house today.
The 75-27 vote was more than the two-thirds needed for approval. The action now heads to the state senate.
If senators approve, lawmakers and a panel of delegates appointed by the governor will meet May 30 at the earliest. The bill sets a deadline of August 15 to submit a proposed constitution to the governor.
Gov. Jeff Landry requested the convention, to rewrite certain articles of the 1973 constitution to give lawmakers more flexibility to form a budget, so health care and higher education do not always bear the brunt of cuts when money is tight.
Opponents said there is no guarantee that delegates won't seek a broader re-write, and also argued the public has had very little time to be informed about potential changes.
If the bill passes the senate, whatever the constitutional convention produces will require voter approval in the fall.





