Louisiana Prostitution Amendment (2010)

Not on Ballot
This measure was not put on an election ballot

The Louisiana Prostitution Amendment did not appear on the November 2, 2010 statewide ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure proposed an amendment that declared that "prostitution [would] be suppressed by the Legislature" and "no law [would] be enacted to legalize or legitimize prostitution." The measure is proposed by Rep. Rosalind Jones.

Background

According to reports, the proposed amendment could have affected a 2010 U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. David Vitter and U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon. In 2007, Vitter's phone number appeared in phone records of a Washington prostitution ring. Vitter later admitted to a "serious sin" but denied relationships with prostitutes in New Orleans. The proposed amendment, according to Joshua Stockley, assistant professor of political science at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a former president of the Louisiana Political Science Association, may have reminded voters of the 2007 case.

However, Jones, the proponent of the legislation, said the reason why she introduced the bill was, "I'm aware we've had some issues with little girls getting involved in prostitution." According to Jones, she used the same language as a 1990s proposed amendment to ban gambling.

At the time of the proposal, prostitution was illegal in Louisiana by statute but not by the state constitution.

Path to the ballot

See also: Louisiana legislatively referred constitutional amendments

If 2/3rds of the members of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature voted in the affirmative, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment could have been placed on the statewide ballot. However, the measure was not approved by the end of the legislative session on June 21, 2010.

See also

• 2010 ballot measures
• Louisiana 2010 ballot measures

External links

• List of proposed Louisiana constitutional amendments