Different groups are beginning to attack Amendment 2 on the March 29 ballot that rewrites the financial section of the state constitution. A Baton Rouge church leader is the latest to oppose the amendment.

Readers will remember the Rev. Tony Spell, pastor of Life Tabernacle Church, who opposed former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’  restrictions on churches during the pandemic. Spell said the amendment could lead to elimination of some property tax exemptions for churches, which benefit many churches.

The Advocate in its report on Spell’s opposition to Amendment 2 said it affects property tax breaks enjoyed by nonprofit organizations that are used exclusively for religious, charitable, health, welfare, educational, fraternal or burial purposes.

The tax exemptions are being removed from the constitution and placed in state statutes, which are easier to change than the constitution. The author of Amendment 2 said no entity with those exemptions will lose them even if the amendment passes.

However, if the amendment passes, Spell said, “I’m now at the mercy of two-thirds of the Legislature.”

The newspaper said Spell and Gov. Jeff Landry, who is giving Amendment 2 strong support, were on the same side during the pandemic. Now, Spell says Landry has not been up front with voters about the impact of the amendment.

Spell said he strongly opposes the ballot measure, even after talking with the governor this week. Landry did not respond to a request for comment, which is his typical reaction whenever he’s asked about opposition to any issue he supports.

A lawsuit has also been filed against the ballot description of Amendment 2. The attorney filing the suit for some church interests said in a newspaper report headline, “Churches could be taxed out of existence.”

The amendment has also taken a blow from Woody Jenkins, the owner of Central City News. Jenkins has held Republican leadership positions and was a state representative and member of the constitutional convention that wrote the current state constitution.

The Advocate reported that Jenkins said he fully opposes Amendment 2 and believes “it is absolutely essential it be defeated.” It added that Jenkins also opposes the broader package of tax changes championed by Landry, which he called “tremendous false advertising.”

The teacher pay raise portion of Amendment 2 is also facing some opposition. Three education trust funds would be eliminated and their funds would be used to pay off some teacher retirement debt.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana said the three funds have generated roughly $2 billion for the state since they were created. Last year, the funds generated $68 million that was split between K-12 schools and higher education.

The money that local school boards pay to reduce that retirement debt would be used to give local permanent raises — $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for school support workers.

Critics say the amendment takes the state out of giving teacher pay increases and makes it a responsibility of local school boards. They also say the trust funds being eliminated help fund education efforts throughout the state each year, including early education programs and scholarships for aspiring teachers.

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children said losing the trust funds would leave nearly 1,600 children without access to early education programs, worsening the state’s child care crisis.

Although opposition to Amendment 2 is growing, LaPolitics reported that Gov. Landry, “arguably the most powerful figure in Louisiana politics since Huey Long,” has a strong Republican Legislature and the Pelican Institute for Public Policy in his corner.

LaPolitics said the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry haven’t taken a position on Amendment 2.

The Advocate said teacher union leaders said last year they supported “the spirit of the bill,” but would have preferred that pay raises would be part of the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) that funds K-12 education.

Cade Brumley, the state superintendent of education, strongly supports the amendment, which isn’t a surprise since he has agreed with Landry on virtually everything the governor supports.

With just over three weeks to go before the March 29 election, we can expect some serious support and opposition to the first major change to the state constitution since it was adopted in 1974.

Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jim.beam.press@gmail.com.

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