State Sen. Kurt Talbot urges 'yes' votes on four constitutional amendments ahead of March 29 election

State Sen. Kurt Talbot urged Harahan voters to support four proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the March 29 ballot, and said he intends to vote for them all.

Talbot told the Harahan City Council on March 20 that Amendment 1 would allow the Louisiana Supreme Court to discipline out-of-state lawyers for misconduct committed in the state and permit the Legislature to create specialty trial courts; Amendment 2 would substantially revise tax and budget sections of the state constitution including collapsing income tax brackets, reducing the maximum income tax rate and creating a new deduction for citizens age 65 and older; Amendment 3 would let the Legislature determine which felony offenses require juveniles to be tried as adults; and Amendment 4 would require filling judicial vacancies at the earliest available election date instead of waiting up to 12 months.

“I'm gonna go for all of them,” Talbot told the council when asked whether he recommended voting for or against the measures.

Talbot described Amendment 2 as the most consequential for state tax policy, saying it would consolidate income-tax brackets and cut the corporate rate to improve competitiveness with neighboring states. He also said the amendment would fund a permanent teacher pay raise by paying down retirement debt. Talbot denied claims in local flyers that Amendment 2 would revoke the homestead exemption or force churches to pay property taxes.

On Amendment 3, Talbot said the change would allow the Legislature to determine by statute which violent felonies should trigger trying juveniles as adults, instead of relying on the current specified-list approach. On Amendment 4, he said more prompt judicial replacements could reduce docket backlogs for smaller courts.

Talbot also used the visit to promote ongoing state programs, including the fortified-roof grant and an associated $10,000 tax credit he has filed to give homeowners another financing option. He said the fortified-roof program averages a 22% reduction in homeowners’ insurance premiums for recipients and described efforts to secure more stable industry funding for the program.

Council members asked technical questions about tax interactions and eligibility; Talbot said he would follow up with staff on technical tax questions he was not certain about.

Why it matters: The four amendments would change the state constitution and therefore affect court processes, taxation and juvenile prosecution standards across Louisiana. Talbot framed the measures as part of broader, ongoing state-level fiscal and legal reforms.

Looking ahead: The amendments will appear on the March 29 ballot. Talbot offered to answer further technical questions from council staff and residents.