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Louisiana Amendment 1, Gubernatorial Deadlines on Bills and Legislative Veto Sessions Amendment (2023)
| Louisiana Amendment 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 18, 2023 | |
| Topic State legislatures measures | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
Louisiana Amendment 1, the Legislative Veto Sessions Amendment, was on the ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 18, 2023. It was approved.[1]
A "yes" vote supported providing that:
|
A "no" vote opposed providing that:
|
Election results
|
Louisiana Amendment 1 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
387,207 | 61.03% | ||
| No | 247,266 | 38.97% | ||
Overview
How did vetoes work in Louisiana going into the election?
- See also: Text of measure and Background
In Louisiana, a bill becomes law if the governor signs it. The bill also becomes law if the governor fails to sign it or veto it within 10 days after it is delivered from the state legislature while the legislature is in session. If the legislature is not in session, the governor has 20 days to act. If a bill is vetoed, it must be returned to the legislature with the veto message within 12 days after it was delivered to the governor.[1]
The state legislature can override vetoed bills with a two-thirds vote in each house during a veto session.
Going into the election, the state constitution provided that a veto session shall be convened on the 40th day following the final adjournment of the most recent session unless a majority of members from either house declare in writing that a veto session is unnecessary.[1]
What did the amendment change about gubernatorial action deadlines on bills and legislative veto sessions?
- See also: Text of measure
The constitutional amendment provided that the governor must act within 10 days after it is delivered while the legislature is in the session in which the bill was passed, otherwise, the governor has 20 days to act if the legislative session in which a bill was passed was adjourned. If a bill is vetoed, it must be returned to the legislature with the veto message within 12 days after it was delivered to the governor. The governor can return a vetoed bill after the legislative session in which the bill passed has adjourned as provided for by state law.[1]
The constitutional amendment provided that a veto session shall convene on the 40th day following the final adjournment of each session in which a bill was vetoed to consider bills vetoed during that session and that were not reconsidered by the house of origin during the session.[1]
The amendment allowed the legislature to consider bills vetoed by the governor without convening a separate veto session if the legislature was presently in a regular or extraordinary session.[1]
| Policy | Existing law | Change under Amendment 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Governor's deadlines to act on a bill | • 10 days after delivery while the legislature is in session; 20 days if the legislature is not in session | • 10 days after delivery while the legislature is in the session in which the bill was passed; 20 days if the legislative session in which a bill was passed was adjourned |
| Veto sessions | • A veto session shall be convened the 40th day following final adjournment of the most recent session unless a majority of members from either house declare in writing that a veto session is unnecessary | • A veto session shall convene on the 40th day following final adjournment of each session in which a bill was vetoed to consider bills vetoed during that session; allow the legislature to consider bills vetoed by the governor without convening a separate veto session if the legislature was presently in a regular or extraordinary session |
When has the Louisiana legislature voted to override a governor's veto?
- See also: History of veto overrides in Louisiana
Since the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 went into effect, the Louisiana State Legislature has overridden a gubernatorial veto of a bill three times: in 1991, 1993, and 2022.[2]
The most recent legislative override of a governor's veto happened on March 30, 2022, following the 2022 first extraordinary legislative session. It was the first veto override in Louisiana in 29 years. Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed House Bill 1, the congressional redistricting bill that was passed along party lines with most Republicans in favor and most Democrats opposed.[3]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question for the amendment was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Do you support an amendment to clarify that the timing of gubernatorial action on a bill and his return of a vetoed bill to the legislature is based upon the legislative session in which the bill passed and to authorize the legislature, if it is in session, to reconsider vetoed bills without convening a separate veto session? (Effective January 8, 2024) (Amends Article III, Section 18) [ ]Yes [ ] No[4] |
” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article III, Louisiana Constitution
The measure amended section 18 of Article III of the state constitution. The following struck-through text was deleted and underlined text was added[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
§18. Gubernatorial Action on Bills; Sign, Failure to Sign, Veto; Veto Session
Section 18.(A) Gubernatorial Action. If the governor does not approve a bill, he may veto it. A bill, except a joint resolution, shall become law if the governor signs it or if he fails to sign or veto it within ten days after delivery to him if the legislature is in the session in which the bill passed on the tenth day after such delivery, or within twenty days after delivery if the tenth day after delivery occurs after the legislature legislative session in which the bill passed is adjourned.
(B) Veto Message. If the governor vetoes a bill, he shall return it to the legislature, with his veto message within twelve days after delivery to him if the legislature is in the session in which the bill passed. If the governor returns a vetoed bill after the legislature adjourns legislative session in which the bill passed is adjourned, he shall return it, with his veto message, as provided by law.
(C) Veto Session.
- (1) A bill vetoed and returned and subsequently approved by two-thirds of the elected members of each house shall become law. The legislature shall meet in veto session in the state capital at noon on the fortieth day following final adjournment of
the most recenteach session in which a bill that finally passed was vetoed, to consider all bills passed during that session that were vetoed by the governor and that were not reconsidered by the house of origin during the session in which the bill passed. If the fortieth day falls on Sunday, the session shall convene at noon on the succeeding Monday. No veto session shall exceed five calendar days, and any veto session may be finally adjourned prior to the end of the fifth day upon a vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house. - (2) No veto session shall be held if a majority of the elected members of either house declare in writing that a veto session is unnecessary. The declaration must be received by the presiding officer of the respective houses at least five days prior to the day on which the veto session is to convene.
- (3) If a veto session is to be held and the time period for the conduct of the veto session occurs during a regular or extraordinary session of the legislature, the legislature may reconsider all bills vetoed by the governor and not previously reconsidered by the legislature as part of the business of the regular or extraordinary session during the time period set forth in Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph without the necessity of convening or adjourning a separate veto session.
Support
Supporters
Officials
- State Rep. Gregory Miller (R)
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.
Campaign finance
Ballotpedia did not locate political action committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Background
Vetoes in Louisiana
In Louisiana, a bill becomes law if the governor signs it. The bill also becomes law if the governor fails to sign it or veto it within 10 days after it is delivered from the state legislature while the legislature is in session. If the legislature is not in session, the governor has 20 days to act. If a bill is vetoed, it must be returned to the legislature with the veto message within 12 days after it was delivered to the governor.[1]
The state legislature can override vetoed bills with a two-thirds vote in each house during a veto session. Currently, the state constitution provides that a veto session shall be convened the 40th day following final adjournment of the most recent session unless a majority of members from either house declare in writing that a veto session is unnecessary.[1]
Veto overrides in Louisiana
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Louisiana are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 70 of the 105 members in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 of the 39 members in the Louisiana State Senate. Louisiana is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
| According to Article III, Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution, the legislature shall convene 40 days after the legislative session has ended to consider veto overrides for a period not to exceed five days. If a majority of members agree, the veto session can be cancelled. |
Authority: Article III, Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution.
| "A bill vetoed and returned and subsequently approved by two-thirds of the elected members of each house shall become law. The legislature shall meet in veto session in the state capital at noon on the fortieth day following final adjournment of the most recent session, to consider all bills vetoed by the governor. " |
Party control of Louisiana state government
As of 2023, Louisiana has a divided government. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls the offices of attorney general, secretary of state, and both chambers of the state legislature.
From 2011 to 2015, Louisiana had a Republican state government trifecta, meaning Republicans controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the office of the governor. Since 2016, Republicans have controlled both chambers of the state legislature while Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards has held the office of governor.
Louisiana Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Louisiana House partisanship
The following table shows the number of members from each party that presently make up the Louisiana House of Representatives.
| Party | As of September 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 32 | |
| Republican Party | 73 | |
| Independent | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 105 | |
Louisiana Senate partisanship
The following table shows the number of members from each party that presently make up the Louisiana State Senate.
| Party | As of September 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | |
History of veto overrides in Louisiana
Since the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 went into effect, the Louisiana State Legislature has overridden a gubernatorial veto of a bill three times: in 1991, 1993, and 2022.[5]
The most recent legislative override of a governor's veto happened on March 30, 2022. It was the first veto override in Louisiana in 29 years. Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed House Bill 1, the congressional redistricting bill that was passed along party lines with most Republicans in favor and most Democrats opposed.[6] The override was the first override to happen during a veto session.[7]
| Year and session | Governor | Bill | Legislature party control |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 regular session | Buddy Roemer (R) | House Bill 112 | Democratic control of both chambers |
| 1993 regular session | Edwin Edwards (D) | House Bill 1229 | Democratic control of both chambers |
| 2022 veto session | John Bel Edwards (D) | House Bill 1 | Republican control of both chambers |
Louisiana 2022 veto session
On March 30, 2022, the Louisiana State Legislature overrode Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto of a bill creating new boundaries for the state's six congressional districts. House Bill 1 (HB1) was part of the state legislature's first extraordinary session of 2022 and drew new lines for Louisiana's congressional map as part of redistricting in Louisiana following the 2020 United States Census.
Edwards vetoed the bill on March 9, 2022. In Louisiana, a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers is required to override a veto. At the time of the veto, Republicans had a veto-proof majority in the Senate, but were two seats short of the 70 needed to form a veto-proof majority in the House. Because the bill was vetoed after the special session had adjourned, an automatic veto session was called for the legislature to vote on an override.
The House overrode the veto by a vote of 72-31, with all Republicans and the chamber's three Independents, Reps. Roy Adams, Malinda White, and Joseph Marino, voting in favor.[8] All votes against the override came from Democrats. The Senate overrode the veto later that day by a vote of 27-11, with all votes in favor coming from Republicans and all votes against coming from Democrats.[9]
The veto override represented the first time since 1991 that the Louisiana State Legislature overturned a governor's veto.[10]
Rules regarding post-adjournment vetoes in the U.S.
Congress cannot override a presidential veto if the veto occurs after adjournment and the president had less than 10 days to consider the bill. This process is described in Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
Some states, such as Idaho, have similar rules that prevent legislatures from acting on gubernatorial vetoes that occur post-adjournment.[11] Other states have rules that allow state legislatures to override vetoes in special sessions or during the legislature's next regular session.
This chart shows 25 states that Ballotpedia has identified as having rules that may allow legislatures to override post-adjournment vetoes. The list is not exhaustive.
Odd-year ballot measures in Louisiana
A total of 56 constitutional amendments appeared on the statewide ballot in Louisiana during odd-numbered years from 1999 through 2021. Of the 56 amendments, 37 (67.27%) were approved and 19 (34.54%) were defeated.
| Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments, 1999-2021 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Odd-year average | Odd-year median | Odd-year minimum | Odd-year maximum | |
| 56 | 37 | 67.27% | 19 | 34.54% | 5 | 4 | 0 | 16 | |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Louisiana Constitution
In Louisiana, a two-thirds vote is needed in each chamber of the Louisiana State Legislature to refer a legislatively referred constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.
This amendment was introduced as House Bill 166 on February 24, 2022. On April 6, 2022, the state House passed HB 166 in a vote of 100-0 with four members absent. On June 3, 2022, the state Senate passed the bill with amendments (moving the election date from November 8, 2022, to November 18, 2023) by a vote of 33-0 with five members absent. On June 5, 2022, the state House concurred with the Senate's amendments by a vote of 99-0 with six members absent.[1]
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Louisiana
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Louisiana.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 166," accessed April 11, 2022
- ↑ Louisiana House of Representatives, "Veto history since 1975," accessed December 22, 2022
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 1: REAPPORTIONMENT/CONGRESS: Provides relative to the districts for members of the United States Congress," accessed December 22, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Louisiana House of Representatives, "Veto history since 1975," accessed December 22, 2022
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 1: REAPPORTIONMENT/CONGRESS: Provides relative to the districts for members of the United States Congress," accessed December 22, 2022
- ↑ WAFB, "Gov. Edwards speaks after House, Senate override veto on redistricting maps," accessed December 22, 2022
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "RECONSIDERATION OF VETOED BILLS; HB1 BY MR. SPEAKER; PASS BILL SUBSEQUENT TO VETO," March 30, 2022
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "HB 1 BY MR. SPEAKER; MOTION BY HEWITT; OVERRIDE VETO," March 30, 2022
- ↑ The Advocate, "In an historic vote, Louisiana Legislature overturns governor's veto on congressional maps," March 30, 2022
- ↑ Spokesman.com "Grocery tax repeal veto prompts debate in Idaho over powers of Legislature, governor," April 23, 2017
- ↑ Delaware State News, "Delaware legislators to attempt override of opt-out veto," January 13, 2016
- ↑ The Orlando Sentinel "Gov. Rick Scott's veto power: Tallahassee takeaways," May 18, 2017
- ↑ 11 Alive, "Lawmakers: No special session for veto override, please," March 31, 2016
- ↑ Indianapolis Business Journal, "Indiana Senate votes to override two Pence vetoes," February 14, 2017
- ↑ NewsOK, "Iowa lawmakers ponder a special session," May 19, 2013
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Hogan vetoes Maryland Democrats' paid sick leave bill," May 25, 2017
- ↑ Mississippi First, "Governor Bryant Vetoes SB 2161," April 24, 2015
- ↑ Nevada Legislature, "Vetoes and Special Sessions," accessed July 3, 2017
- ↑ Newmexicopolitics.net "New Mexico’s veto problem," June 26, 2017
- ↑ The Oregon Legislature, "How an Idea Really Becomes a Law," accessed July 3, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Code, "§ 9.127. Passage of vetoed bill.," accessed July 3, 2017
- ↑ The News & Observer "Special veto session unlikely for South Carolina Legislature," July 1, 2017
- ↑ TN Report, "Veto-Override Session May be in Works," March 21, 2014
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Pocket Veto," accessed July 3, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "FAQ: Voting on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ WWNO, "Louisiana now requires proof of citizenship to vote, but hasn’t issued any guidance," January 15, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana Voter Registration Application," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana voters' bill of rights and voting information," accessed August 15, 2024
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