Louisiana Use Budget Stabilization Fund for Costs of Disasters Amendment (2017)
| Louisiana Use Budget Stabilization Fund for Costs of Disasters Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date October 14, 2017 | |
| Topic State and local government budgets, spending and finance | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The Louisiana Use Budget Stabilization Fund for Costs of Disasters Amendment was not on the ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on October 14, 2017.
The measure would have allowed the state to use revenue in the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) for federally-declared disasters in Louisiana. The amount used for the costs of the disaster would not had exceeded 1/3 of the total revenue in the BSF. A 2/3 vote of the members of the state legislature would have been required to use the fund for the costs of the disaster.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:[1]
| “ | Do you support an amendment to allow for the use of the Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, for the state's share of costs associated with a disaster declared by the federal government?
(Amends Article VII, Section 10.3(C)(3) and (4); Adds Article VII, Section 10.3(A)(5) and (C)(5))[2] |
” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article VII, Louisiana Constitution
The measure would have amended Section 10.33(A)(5) and (C)(3)(4) and (5) of Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution. The following underlined text would have been added, and struck-through text would have been deleted:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
Section 10.3.(A) There is hereby established in the state treasury a Budget Stabilization Fund hereinafter referred to as the fund. Money shall be deposited in the fund as follows:
(5) Monies received by the state from the federal government for the reimbursement of costs associated with a federally declared disaster, not to exceed the amount of such costs appropriated out of the fund pursuant to Subparagraph (C)(3) of this Section.
(3) If there is a disaster in the state that is declared a disaster by the federal government, up to one-third of the fund, not to exceed the state costs associated with such disaster, may be appropriated after the consent of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature. Between sessions of the legislature, the appropriation may be made only with written consent of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature. Any reimbursement by the federal government for the costs associated with the same disaster shall be deposited into the fund, not to exceed the appropriation authorized pursuant to this Subparagraph.
(3) (4) In no event shall the amount included in the official forecast for the next fiscal year plus the amount appropriated in the current fiscal year , plus the amount appropriated in the current fiscal year in the event of a disaster, exceed one-third of the fund balance at the beginning of the current fiscal year.
(4) (5) No appropriation or deposit to the fund shall be made if such appropriation or deposit would cause the balance in the fund to exceed four percent of total state revenue receipts for the previous fiscal year.[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Louisiana Constitution
In Louisiana, a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Louisiana State Legislature during one legislative session is required to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. Louisiana is one of 16 states that require a two-thirds supermajority in each chamber of the legislature.
Amendment
Rep. Gary Carter (D-102) filed the amendment in the state legislature as House Bill 255 (HB 255) on March 30, 2017. The Louisiana House of Representatives approved the amendment 94 to 2 with 9 members absent on May 30, 2017. The measure was not voted on in the Louisiana Senate before the 2017 legislative session adjourned.[3]
House Bill 142
House Bill 142 (HB 142) was designed to call for a special election on October 14, 2017, for voters to address proposed constitutional amendments. Rep. Stephen Pugh (R-73) introduced HB 142. The Louisiana House of Representatives approved the bill, 102 to 0 with two members absent and one seat vacant, on April 26, 2017. The Louisiana Senate passed the bill 38 to 0 on May 31, 2017. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed the bill on June 12, 2017.[4]
According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, HB 142 did not create additional government costs because a special election to elect the state treasurer was already scheduled for October 14, 2017.[5]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Louisiana Legislature, "House Bill 255," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 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 Legislature, "HB 255 Overview," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Legislature, "HB 142 Overview," accessed May 9, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Legislature, "HB 142 Fiscal Note," accessed May 9, 2017
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