In a House committee hearing, state lawmakers laid out their concerns over holding a constitutional convention on May 20th, two weeks before the regular session is scheduled to end. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham is worried his bills in the regular session will not receive final passage.
“Our bills that we have all worked very hard drafting, getting through committee, getting amended, going through the process don’t get scuttled because we run out of time,” said Bayham.
Bayham’s comments came during a legislative hearing on the bill that calls for the constitutional convention. Supporters of the convention want to remove items from the constitution and put them into state law to give legislators more financial flexibility.
Former state lawmaker Neil Abramson told legislators during budget deficits, health care, and higher education take the deep cuts.
“The flexibility that you have in difficult circumstances to try to solve problems is limited because the constitution bogs everything down and it limits the opportunity for you to make those decisions,” said Abramson.
New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd is unclear on what changes to the constitution could be made…
“I think the problem is we’re moving so quickly, which is why people are saying, what’s the rush? What are they doing, this is where the public mistrust is coming from,” said Boyd.
Supporters of a revised constitution want voters to vote in November on the changes made during the convention. More discussion is expected today on the constitutional convention.
