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Louisiana Severance Tax Act, Amendment 4 (2008)
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The Louisiana Severance Tax Act, also known as Amendment 4, was on the ballot in Louisiana on November 4, 2008, as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. It was defeated. It proposed that the amount of severance taxes returned to the parish of origin should be increased. It also called for the dedication of a certain portion of severance taxes to the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund.[1]
Election results
| Louisiana Amendment 4 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 875,196 | 55.42% | ||
| Yes | 704,057 | 44.58% | ||
Election results via: Louisiana Secretary of State
Background
The purpose of the amendment was to increase the sharing of severance taxes to offset the increased traffic and destruction of roads in the areas where oil and gas are extracted. Currently, each parish governing authority receives one-fifth of the severance tax on all natural resources other than sulphur, lignite, or timber severed or produced in the parish.[2]
Specific Provisions
If it had passed, the measure would have:
- Amended Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution to increase the amount of the state's severance tax that is allocated to parishes (counties) where oil and gas are extracted to $2.85 million from $850,000, with at least half of the increased revenue to parishes going into transportation needs.
- Required that at least half of any increased funding received by the affected parishes would go to transportation needs.
- Required revenues resulting from extraction in the Atchafalaya Basin, in the amount of 50%, are to be reserved for basin projects.
- Been phased in beginning in 2009.[2]
Supporters
Supporters included:
- State Representative Richard Gallot, Jr., D-Ruston, sponsor[2]
See also
External links
- Louisiana 2008 Ballot Measures Guide (dead link)
- Louisiana 2008 Ballot Measures Election Results
- 2008 Louisiana Ballot Measures
Footnotes
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