Governor Jeff Landry is pushing for lawmakers to hold a constitutional convention this year. He says he wants to create a new state constitution that is streamlined and lays out fundamental principles.
Louisiana’s constitution was adopted 50 years ago. It has about 80,000 words and is one of the longest in the nation, according to the Public Affairs Research Council.
During a webinar with the group, Senator Heather Cloud, a Republican from Evangeline Parish, said she supports overhauling the document because it’s too long and requires voters to constantly approve amendments.
She also said a new document would make budgeting easier on lawmakers. The current constitution dictates where much of the state budget goes.
Representative Edmond Jordan, a Democrat from Baton Rouge, agreed. But he expressed concerns about the process being rushed.