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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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T u e s d ay, M ay 12, 2026
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Democrats have large early-voting turnout Pattern could imperil amendments on state ballot
BY TYLER BRIDGES
ELECTION 2026
Staff writer
Democratic voters turned out in proportionally large numbers during the early voting period — and that could pose problems for the five constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot. Political analysts believe that the five amendments — four of which Gov. Jeff Landry strongly backs — may fall prey to a backlash caused by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling and moves by Landry and other Republicans to remove Black Democrats
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS from political office. “There is one very obvious target for the energized Democratic voter base: the amendments,” said John Couvillon, a pollster and demographer in Baton Rouge who closely tracks early voting data. “If you’re a Democrat, voting ‘no’ is a perfect way to express your anger.” The five amendments would give the Legislature power to
remove civil service protections for state employees, create a school system in the city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish, give teachers a pay raise by dissolving three education trust funds, allow parishes to eliminate the property tax on business inventory and raise the retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. Landry clearly has a lot riding on the results. His political action committee is running ads to win passage of all but Amendment 5.
ä Crucial
vote on Louisiana’s controversial redistricting push scheduled for Tuesday. PAGE 3A
ä See EARLY, page 3A
A sign points the way to vote at the Louisiana State Archives on May 4 in Baton Rouge.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Education trust funds back on the ballot BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
Voters will head to the polls Saturday to decide whether Louisiana should revise its state constitution to give teachers a permanent pay raise. One of five constitutional amendments on the ballot, Amendment 3 seeks to dissolve three constitutionally protected
state education trust funds, which have contributed a total of nearly $2 billion toward various state education programs. If voters approve the change, money from the trust funds will be used to pay down teacher retirement system debt, with the savings going toward permanent raises for teachers and school support staff. The amendment comes after
teachers have repeatedly asked for lasting raises, but only received one-time stipends. It’s being pushed by Gov. Jeff Landry and the state’s teachers unions and is a reboot of a ballot measure that failed last year. Landry postponed the primary elections for six U.S. House seats after the U.S. Supreme
Landry
ä See TEACHER, page 5A
Judge to review use of NDAs
Nonprofits seek Ascension industrial project documents BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer
The use of nondisclosure agreements to temporarily shield from public view details of planned industrial projects and associated tax incentives in Ascension Parish will be scrutinized by a state court judge to determine whether the documents should remain secret. Rural Roots and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, two nonprofit groups fighting industrial expansion in western Ascension, filed a public records request for the documents nearly eight months ago and sued after the parish denied their request. Judge Cody Martin, of the 23rd Judicial District Court, agreed in a hearing on Monday to conduct a review of the documents. Known as nondisclosure agreements, they kept public officials, including elected officials, quiet about big industries planning to build in the 17,000-acre RiverPlex MegaPark near Modeste. Companies including Hyundai Steel, CF Industries, Nemo Industries and Linde have announced new plants for the west bank park along the Mississippi River and north of Donaldsonville. The groups argued the secrecy deals prevented the public from fully understanding what was happening, even as parish officials were proposing buyouts of Modeste residents in May 2025 and fast-tracking the projects. Ashley Gaignard, president of the Donaldsonville-based Rural Roots Louisiana, said the agreements keep residents from understanding the scale of what is being proposed until it is too late for them to have a voice. “We elected our local officials to represent us. They don’t represent Hyundai. They don’t represent the state. They represent the local community,” Gaignard said in a news conference after the court hearing in Gonzales on Monday. Jean-Paul Robert, the parish attorney, declined to comment Monday. In court papers, parish officials said the records in their possession came as a result of their examination of Hyundai’s business and were “in their nature confidential as they pertain to trade secrets.”
ä See NDAS, page 5A
Trump says Iran ceasefire on ‘life support,’ proposes gas tax pause Strait of Hormuz stays closed
Trump
CO ONFLICT
IN THE T MIIDDLE EAST AST
WEATHER HIGH 82 LOW 63 PAGE 6B
Trump also proposed suspending the federal gas tax to help with higher fuel prices caused by the war. The stalled diplomacy BY JON GAMBRELL, and recent exchanges of SAMY MAGDY fire could tip the Middle and SEUNG MIN KIM East back into open warAssociated Press fare and prolong the worldDUBAI, United Arab Emirates — wide energy crisis sparked President Donald Trump by the conflict. Iran still has on Monday said the Iran a chokehold on the Strait ceasefire is on “life sup- of Hormuz, a vital waterport” after rejecting Teh- way for global oil and gas ran’s latest proposal, which shipments, and America is officials said included blockading Iranian ports. Asked at the White House some nuclear concessions.
if the ceasefire was still in effect, Trump said it’s on “life support.” “I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,” Trump added. “I didn’t even finish reading it.” Trump also said he supported a suspension of the federal tax on gasoline — just over 18 cents per gallon and 24 cents for diesel. Congress, which is
ä See GAS TAX, page 3A
Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
A man waves an Iranian flag for a progovernment campaign under a billboard with a graphic showing the Strait of Hormuz and the sewn lips of President Donald Trump on Wednesday in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI
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