November 18th Election
Candidate Endorsements &
Amendment Recommendations
"We are the boss, and we will get the government we demand and deserve." - John F. Kennedy
To find your House and Senate district numbers, click here and select "My Sample Ballot."
Names underlined are linked to candidate interviews on The State of Freedom podcast.
Statewide Office
Attorney General
Treasurer
John Fleming
House Districts
53
Dirk Guidry
64
Kellie Hennessy Dickerson
70
Steve Myers
103
BESE Districts
4
Stacey Mellerine
Constitutional Amendments
Amendment No. 1
Vote YES
A YES vote for this would allow lawmakers to try to override a governor’s veto under certain conditions without calling a separate veto session if they are already in a legislative session. We support this Amendment because it saves time and taxpayer resources, makes it less procedurally difficult to override vetoed bills, and helps in some measure to level the balance of power in state government which has heavily favored the Governor since the days of Huey Long.
Amendment No. 2
Vote YES
A YES vote for this would remove six inactive funds with zero or near-zero balances from the Louisiana Constitution. This is a housekeeping measure that would simply remove from the Constitution certain dedicated funds that no longer exist. We liken this amendment to cleaning out your refrigerator of old, stale food.
Amendment No. 3
NEUTRAL
A YES vote would allow a parish governing authority to give an extra property tax exemption to police, firefighters and certain other first responders who own homes and live in the parish. Any change to the property tax requires a constitutional amendment and a statewide vote. The concern here is that while we respect and support our first responders, the amendment sets a precedent by which other state employees will likely be clamoring for the same exemption. Why not teachers? Why not mental health experts and counsellors? We would support an amendment that eliminates property tax for ALL Louisiana citizens, but do not believe that the Constitution should create a special class of citizens with privileges not enjoyed by all citizens. On the other hand the Amendment returns power to the people at the local government level. It returns this issue to local authorities within a parish. In doing so, it decentralizes government power and allows this decision to be made by the elected leaders closest to the people.. This is a good thing. Because this amendment has both advantages and disadvantages, we have no recommendation.
Amendment No. 4
Vote YES
Under the Louisiana Constitution, funds from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund (RSTF) can be used only for capital outlay, transportation projects, and emergencies. The RSTF is a state fund consisting of revenue from corporate taxes and oil and gas production in Louisiana. A YES vote on this Amendment would amend the constitution to allow withdrawal of up to $250 million dollars from the RSTF to alleviate a budget deficit. The appropriation would require a 2/3 majority vote in the legislature. We support this Amendment because it authorizes the legislature to use a portion of the RSTF fund to alleviate deficits in the budget. In doing so, it allows the legislature to divert a portion of the RSTF fund away from transportation projects that too often squander our tax dollars with little or no positive results and little or no accountability.
An informed voter is a powerful and effective voter.
The above are lists of LACAG and TSOF endorsed candidates for legislative, BESE Board and statewide election on November 18, 2023. Any race not included in this list simply indicates that, to date, LACAG and TSOF have declined to make an endorsement in that race. Additional endorsements may be forthcoming. These endorsements were made after careful evaluation of the candidates based upon survey responses and our firm conclusion that they will be the most effective fighters in working with their colleagues to advance the cause of constitutional conservatism in total fidelity to the citizens of Louisiana. We certainly intend to hold them to their commitments. Endorsements are not made in a vacuum, and the relative value of any candidate can only be assessed by comparison to his/her opponents. It was on this basis that we arrived at our endorsement decision for each candidate.
Also included above are our recommendations on the Constitutional amendments on the ballot based on our thorough analysis of the legislation.