Louisiana REALTORS Stay
Tax Free campaign, 2011
ISSUE
In 2011, HDA assisted the Louisiana REALTORS® with an effort to prohibit real estate transfer taxes in the state. Passage of a constitutional amendment through the Louisiana Legislature as well as a majority vote of registered voters were required.
APPROACH
HDA formulated a legislative outreach and lobbying effort to clear the first constitutional hurdle — a two-thirds vote of the Legislature — in order to advance the amendment to the ballot. HDA then managed a statewide multi-media campaign internally among LR members as well as externally to Louisiana voters.
RESULTS
This represented the first time in the U.S. a constitutional amendment to prohibit real estate transfer taxes was put on the ballot via the legislative process. Final legislative passage occurred on a 101-0 vote in the Louisiana House of Representatives and a 34-0 vote in the Louisiana State Senate. On November 19 in the general election, the amendment passed overwhelmingly with nearly 81 percent of the vote, one of the highest vote totals ever achieved in Louisiana for a constitutional amendment.