BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Senators want to re-enact a prohibition that would keep convicted felons waiting years after serving their sentences before they could run for office in Louisiana.
The constitutional amendment by Sen. Conrad Appel, a Metairie Republican, would require felons to wait five years.
The Senate backed the proposal in a 36-0 vote Tuesday, sending it to the House for consideration. If approved there, voters would get the final say at the ballot box.
In prior years, House lawmakers have supported longer waits for felons, but couldn’t win Senate agreement. The five-year provision is a compromise.
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Louisiana had an amendment barring felons from seeking office for 15 years. The Louisiana Supreme Court overturned the provision in 2016, saying voters approved a version differing from one lawmakers passed.
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Senate Bill 31: www.legis.la.gov