Louisiana judge delays lawsuit against tax reform amendment

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Attorney General Liz Murrill wants to delay a lawsuit aimed at preventing an amendment on tax and budget reform from making the March 29 ballot.

A 19th Judicial District judge granted Murrill’s dilatory exception against the lawsuit. The Court said the plaintiff’s request was questionable since absentee ballots had been printed and shipped. The request would also require a mandatory order, which isn’t permissible.

“The judge agreed with us that Amendment 2 will be on the ballot for the March 29 election for all Louisiana voters to decide upon. The Plaintiffs continue to try to create confusion where there is none. The law indisputably prohibits lawsuits like this. We believe the judge got this wrong. Because early voting begins Saturday, we will seek emergency relief from the Louisiana Supreme Court. It’s not the ballot language that is creating confusion – it’s this frivolous litigation,” Murrill said in a statement.

The lawsuit, filed by a pastor and two educators from East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes, challenges House Bill 7, arguing that the measure is too broad and the ballot language is misleading.

HB7 was passed during the Third Extraordinary Legislative Session in 2024. The proposal would revise part of the Louisiana Constitution, consolidating state funds, restructuring tax exemption, and addressing state spending limits.

The plaintiffs argue the measure violates the Louisiana Constitution’s “one object” rule, which requires constitutional amendments to focus on a single subject unless they revise an entire article.

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