Constitution of the State of Louisiana
1974
Louisiana's current constitution, the eleventh in the state's history, was drafted by a convention that met in Baton Rouge from January through November 1973 and ratified by voters on April 20, 1974, taking effect on January 1, 1975. The framers aimed to replace an unwieldy 1921 document that had grown to over 250,000 words through constant amendment and had become one of the longest and most cluttered constitutions in the world. The 1974 constitution is substantially shorter, consolidates the structure of state government, and includes strong environmental protection provisions and an unusually explicit guarantee of privacy. Louisiana's civilian law tradition, rooted in French and Spanish legal codes rather than English common law, continues to distinguish its legal system from every other state.
Preamble
We, the people of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political, economic, and religious liberties we enjoy, and desiring to protect individual rights to life, liberty, and property; afford opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; assure equality of rights; promote the health, safety, education, and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; ensure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and justice to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.
Article I — Declaration of Rights
Section 1. The rights enumerated in this Article are inalienable by the state and shall be preserved inviolate by the state. Section 2. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, except by due process of law. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws. No law shall discriminate against a person because of race or religious ideas, beliefs, or affiliations. No law shall arbitrarily, capriciously, or unreasonably discriminate against a person because of birth, age, sex, culture, physical condition, or political ideas or affiliations. Section 4. Every person has the right to acquire, own, control, use, enjoy, protect, and dispose of private property. This right is subject to reasonable statutory restrictions and the reasonable exercise of the police power. Section 5. Every person shall be secure in his person, property, communications, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches, seizures, or invasions of privacy.