It’s not just about president
Published 12:12 am Saturday, November 1, 2008
VIDALIA — The presidential election is not the only thing on Tuesday’s ballot.
Concordia Parish
In Concordia Parish, along with the presidential vote electors will also decide a U.S. Senate seat, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals judge, seven proposed Constitutional amendments and a parish-wide millage.
Voters in District 3 will also vote in a run-off for Justice of the Peace between Craig L. Guillory and Russell Wagoner.
A vote for the proposed tax millage will allow the parish to levy a 10-year, 4-mil tax — which will generate an estimated $440,000 yearly — to help fund the Concordia Parish Council on Aging. A vote against the proposal will maintain the status quo.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals race is a run-off between Democrats Shannon James Gremillion and Triston Knoll.
On the ballot for the U.S. Senate are:
Democrat Mary Landrieu
Libertarian Richard Fontanesi
Republican John Kennedy
“Jay” Patel
Robert Stewart
The proposed constitutional amendments are:
A vote for Amendment 1 would create term limits of three terms for members of the public service commission, the BESE board, the board of regents, the board of supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, the board of supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the board of supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the board of supervisors of community and technical colleges, the forestry commission, the state civil service commission and the state police commission.
A vote for Amendment 2 would require that a call for a special legislative session be issued at least seven calendar days before the session starts.
A vote against it would keep current requirements of five days notice.
A vote for Amendment 3 would allow the legislature to appoint temporary replacements for legislators who are called into active military duty while performing their duties as legislator.
A vote against will mean that if the active-duty legislator does not resign their post — in which case a special election would be called — the legislator will remain the elected official and their slot in the legislature will remain de facto empty until they return.
A vote for Amendment 4 would dedicate an increased amount of severance tax monies to the parish from which they came.
A vote against the amendment would keep the maximum amount of severance tax funds a parish receives capped at $850,000 adjusted for annual inflation.
A vote for Amendment 5 would allow homeowners who have sold to or had their property expropriated by local, state or federal governments to transfer special property tax assessment levels to their new homes.
A vote against will maintain the current prohibition against that action.
A vote for Amendment 6 would lift requirements that any expropriated property be offered back to its original owner before it can be sold to a third party if the property was expropriated for public healthy and safety reasons and was held for fewer than 30 years.
Voting for the Amendment would also lift the requirement that expropriated property be sold by bid.
A vote against would keep those requirements in place.
A vote for Amendment 7 would allow for public post-employment benefits reserved for non-pension purposes to be invested in stocks.
A vote against would continue to prohibit such actions.
Adams County
On the ballot in Adams County are races for the U.S. Senate, a special election to fill an unexpired Senate term, a congressional race, a state supreme court seat and election commissioners.
In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Thad Cochran is facing a challenge from Democrat Erik R. Fleming.
In the special election for the unexpired term of retired Senator Trent Lott, Democrat Ronnie Musgrove is facing off with Republican Roger Wicker.
Because it is a special election, Musgrove and Wicker’s party affiliations will not be listed on the ballot.
In the race for the third congressional district, voters will choose between Democrat Joel L. Gill and Republican Gregg Harper.
For the District 2 position on the state Supreme Court, Oliver Diaz and Randy “Bubba” Pierce are on the ballot.
Though all five districts are on the ballot for election commissioner, the only contested race is in District 3, between Democrats Evelyn H. Smith and Steven Sumpter.
The other commissioner candidates on the ballot are:
For district 1, Catherine J. Meng
For district 2, Larry E. Gardner
For district 4, Katye Mae Dukes
For district 5, Douglas Mitchel Ballard II