This is the Louisiana Radio Network Legislative report, I”m Jeanne Burns…

New Iberia Representative Beau Beaullieu files legislation for a constitutional convention so state lawmakers and delegates appointed by the governor can write a new state constitution.

The goal is to streamline the state constitution which has been amended more than 200 times and they want to remove certain sections and put it into state law.

Beaullieu says the main goal is to give state lawmakers more flexibility in tough budget times.

He says when the state faces a budget deficit, higher education and health care take the brunt of the cuts because certain areas are constitutionally protected…
Cut 13 (09) “…health care”

Beaullieu’s bill calls for the constitutional convention to begin May 20th and run until July 15th, but he believes it will not take that long…
Cut 14 (11) “…we can do that”

The plan calls for 171 delegates to write a new constitution. All 144 state lawmakers and Governor Jeff Landry will handpick the other 27 delegates.

Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com says private dollars would pay for the convention….
cut 6 (11) “…find out” (AM Newscall)
Senate President Cameron Henry has said it would be difficult to end the regular session two weeks early to start a constitutional convention. Henry says legislators are also not crazy about being in Baton Rouge in June and July after already going through two special sessions this year. He says many of them need to get back to their full-time job.

Beauilleau expects a committee hearing on his bill in the next couple of weeks.