Five constitutional amendments will appear on the May 16 ballot, scheduled conveniently alongside Louisiana’s closed-party congressional primaries. Last year, four amendments were placed on a similarly low-turnout ballot.
Governor Jeff Landry and Republican legislative leaders already have their talking points ready—and several million dollars in PAC money lined up to sell these amendments to the public.
But watch carefully. They are not campaigning equally for all five amendments.
Just like last year, when their political machine focused almost entirely on Amendment 2, this year the real focus appears to be on Amendments 3 and 4.
The reason is simple. These are the money amendments.
(photo credit Doug Chayka, Brennan Center for Justice)
Money has become the true heart of the Republican Party. Not money for you—but money for the wealthy donors and corporations who fund campaigns and expect the legislature to deliver more in return.
That isn’t speculation. Just look at where the millions in PAC contributions are coming from. Those donors are also the ones who stand to benefit the most.
The operation is so important that the governor’s own chief of staff left his position to run the multimillion-dollar PAC promoting these amendments.
Amendment 3 would unlock roughly $2 billion from education trust funds—money originally set aside for classrooms and long-term investment in our schools—and redirect it into the state’s general budget. Supporters promise teacher pay raises, but draining those funds removes the long-term protections that were meant to preserve them. In effect, it raids money intended for future students in order to patch today’s budget.
And let’s be clear about one thing: Louisiana does not need to raid our children’s education funds to pay our teachers. We can support our schools without rewriting the constitution to drain savings meant for future students.
Amendment 4 restructures parts of Louisiana’s tax system in ways that weaken existing protections for local government revenue while shifting more financial risk onto parishes and local taxpayers. It is also part of the same larger corporate tax-cut strategy: reduce what big business owes, then force everyone else to absorb the damage when the revenue disappears.
Together, these amendments loosen constitutional guardrails that protect Louisiana’s treasury and taxing capacity.
And they are being rushed through before the public fully realizes what is coming.
Louisiana is entering a fiscal crisis after years of corporate tax cuts that drained state revenue. Instead of reversing those policies, the legislature is now scrambling for ways to keep the system going.
We have seen this story before. Under Bobby Jindal, Louisiana’s higher education system was pushed to the brink while public assets were treated as something to sell off in the name of trickle-down promises.
Many Republican politicians genuinely believe those promises. They are true believers in trickle-down economics. It is the only way to square the moral circle of wielding tremendous political power while serving the interests of big money.
But prosperity for ordinary people doesn’t come from serving the wealthy first. It comes from leaders willing to stand up to them.
If Louisiana wants a better future, we cannot keep letting politicians rewrite the rules every time their economic model fails. At some point, the people of this state have to say no—not just to these amendments, but to the entire scam of gutting public strength to serve private power.
What can you do to help change Louisiana?
Set up a $5 monthly contribution to the Louisiana Democratic Party here
We have to get back to nuts and bolts of what built Democratic domination in the past. Sign up your interest to become a Louisiana precinct organizer here.
Who’s running for Congress in 2026? Check out Jamie Davis, Nick Albares & Gary Crockett running for U.S. Senate against Bill Cassidy, Conrad Cable & Matt Gromlich against Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-4), Lauren Jewett against Steve Scalise (LA-1), Tia Lebrun, John Day and Caleb Walker against Clay Higgins (LA-3) and Jessee Fleenor, Rubia Garcia, Dan McKay & Larry Foy against Julia Letlow’s successor (LA-5). Re-elect Democrats Cleo Fields (LA-6) and Troy Carter (LA-2).
Dustin is a financial advisor and Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of experience guiding Louisiana families as co-owner of Generation Wealth. A lifelong resident of Louisiana and LSU alumnus, he is also a proud #girldad. Dustin ran for Louisiana State Treasurer in 2023, bringing in more votes than any other statewide Democratic candidate, though he was ultimately unsuccessful. He has since focused on strengthening the Louisiana Democratic Party, having been elected Treasurer in 2024 and serving on the State Central Committee. As a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention and a frequent commentator on social media and local TV networks, Dustin holds leaders accountable and champions progressive solutions for a revitalized Louisiana.