Louisiana voters chose to change their state constitution by approving four amendments on Saturday.
USA Today Network expects all four amendments to pass after early and absentee votes are counted.
The proposed changes range from expanding the Judiciary Committee to changing how lawmakers vote on spending taxpayer money to overhauling the state’s system for collecting delinquent property taxes.
Following are the amendments approved by voters in the December 7 statewide election:
Amendment No. 1: Expands the Judiciary Committee/Revises Judicial Investigations
The amendment will increase the number of members of the State Judiciary Commission and give the Louisiana Supreme Court the authority to direct the commission to investigate allegations of judicial misconduct.
Amendment No. 2: Requires a 48-hour waiting period before final votes on budget bills
The amendment requires lawmakers to wait at least 48 hours to review proposed amendments to bills that appropriate money before taking a final vote.
Amendment No. 3: Extends the regular session of the Legislature to pass budget bills
The amendment gives lawmakers the ability, by a two-thirds vote, to extend a regular legislative session to six days if they need more time to pass a bill appropriating money.
Amendment No. 4: Revises the system for responding to property tax delinquencies
The amendment shifts Louisiana from a tax sale process to a tax lien auction process when a property owner has not paid property taxes and the local government wants to settle the tax debt.
More: Louisiana’s constitutional changes explained as early voting begins for the Dec. 7 election
Greg Hilburn covers Louisiana state politics for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared in Shreveport Times: Louisiana voters are changing the Constitution by approving these four amendments
