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Senate committee hears SB2 to move constitutional amendment ballot date; treasurer’s office says pay-raise impact unclear
Summary
Senate Bill 2 would change an April 2026 constitutional amendment election date to May 16, 2026. Senators pressed Treasury staff on whether the move could delay or jeopardize a voter-approved teacher pay raise; the Treasury representative said the office was reviewing the many moving parts and could not provide an answer during the hearing.
Senate Bill 2, introduced after the committee reported SB1, would change the date for certain constitutional amendments from April to May 16, 2026. Committee members focused on the practical consequences of changing the date — chiefly whether a shift could delay or otherwise affect the disbursement of a voter-authorized teacher pay raise.
Senators asked whether moving the election 30 days could push back certification or liquidation steps needed to make funds available. Kim Calloway, director of governmental affairs at the Department of Treasury, told the committee the department was "working with the treasurer's retirement system" and did not have a definitive answer during the hearing. "I don't have you an answer today because we're going back and forth and look at the many different moving pieces," Calloway said.
Committee members repeatedly requested that the Treasurer’s office and the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana provide written and committee-level answers within days so senators could question witnesses while the bill remained in committee. Senator Carter moved to defer consideration until the committee received that information; the chair ruled the motion out of order at that time but said he would work with members "between here and the floor" to obtain the requested information.
The ballot language read aloud at the hearing describes an amendment to "fund a $2,250 teacher pay raise and $1,125 support staff pay raise by utilizing remaining savings from paying down debt of the Teachers’ Retirement System with monies from certain constitutional funds," effective Jan. 1, 2027. Committee members said that if the treasurer requires time to liquidate assets or certify election results, timing could affect when the funds are available. The treasurer’s office said it hoped to provide an answer within days but could not confirm a timeline in committee.
No committee roll call was taken on SB2 during the hearing; senators reserved further action pending Treasury and TRSL follow-up.
