Louisiana Voters Shape State Policy With Split Decisions on Abortion and Corporate Tax Breaks
Louisiana voters stepped into the ballot box on November 3, 2020, to weigh in on seven distinct constitutional amendments, delivering a series of sharp ideological turns that split the state on reproductive rights and corporate economic policy.
With no legislative seats changing party hands in the statehouse, where Republicans maintained firm control of both the 105-seat House and the 39-seat Senate, the state’s political gravity instead defined itself through direct citizen votes. Two high-profile measures commanded the lion’s share of campaign spending and public debate, driving starkly contrasting outcomes across the state’s 64 parishes.
The Battle Over Constitutional Abortion Protections
Voters approved Amendment 1 with 62.06 percent of the vote, amending the state constitution to declare explicitly that it secures no right to abortion and requires no public funding for the procedure. Backers framed the measure as an essential legal safeguard. Proponents argued that if the U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned Roe v. Wade, state-level jurists would be barred from finding a protected right to the procedure hidden within Louisiana’s own governing document.
Voters had mandated that state judges can never use our Constitution to enshrine abortion.
That sentiment was echoed by Louisiana Right to Life, which championed the measure as preventative insurance for future state court battles. The statewide electorate leaned decisively into the anti-abortion framework.
Rejection of Manufacturing Tax Deals and Spending Caps
While social conservatives celebrated the passage of Amendment 1, economic populists and education advocates notched a major victory against Amendment 5. The proposed measure would have empowered local governments to negotiate special payments in lieu of property taxes with new or expanding manufacturing facilities. The policy carried significant implications for the liquefied natural gas terminals going up in southwest Louisiana.
Lawmakers had advanced the amendment to the ballot by lopsided margins in the legislature. Yet, it collapsed at the ballot box, failing in all 64 parishes. Grassroots opposition led by Together Louisiana and local teachers unions painted the measure as corporate welfare. Financial backing for the resistance came largely from the National Education Association.
Only 44.24 percent of voters supported the cap, leaving existing fiscal structures intact.
Voters Approve Five Additional Constitutional Amendments
Beyond the high-profile clashes over abortion and industrial tax breaks, the electorate gave broad approval to five other constitutional amendments. Homeowners found relief in Amendment 6, which raised the maximum income cap to $100,000 for seniors qualifying for the special assessment level that freezes homestead property values.
Fiscal conservatism won out in other administrative corners. Voters approved Amendment 2, permitting assessors to factor in the presence or production of oil or gas when calculating the fair market value of an oil or gas well for property tax assessments, passing with 58.34 percent support. Amendment 3 secured 55.34 percent of the vote, allowing lawmakers to tap the Budget Stabilization Fund (Rainy Day Fund) for federally declared disasters by a two-thirds vote, and to deposit federal disaster reimbursements back into the fund.
Parishes also cleared a path for local gambling, with 56 out of 64 parishes voting to authorize sports betting, leaving the state legislature to draft the rules.
Incumbents Face Accountability at the Ballot Box
The state’s utility regulators also faced accountability at the ballot box. Both Public Service Commission incumbents on the ballot won their final terms under term limits.
In north Louisiana’s District 5, Foster Campbell (D), who was first elected to the state Senate in 1976, fended off challenger Shane Smiley (R), a member of the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, winning by about six points. In District 1, which spans suburban New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Republican Eric Skrmetta led a crowded initial field.
Skrmetta advanced to a December 5 runoff against Democrat Allen H. Borne Jr., who had refused utility-company contributions and made the industry’s campaign money his issue. Skrmetta ultimately secured the seat by roughly 24 points. Voters on that same December ballot also rejected a measure that would have allowed the governor to appoint an out-of-state resident as an at-large member of the University of Louisiana System board.
When the dust settled, the partisan math of Baton Rouge remained entirely unchanged. Republicans retained their 35 D, 68 R majority in the House and their 12 D, 27 R advantage in the Senate, proving that while Louisiana voters were willing to reshape their constitution parish by parish, the state’s legislative power structure stood resolute.
