Louisiana has had 11 constitutions (more than any other state), the most recent of which was enacted in 1974. By January 2003 it had been amended 113 times. The state legislature consists of a 39-member senate and a 105-member house of representatives. The legislature meets annually, beginning the last Monday in March. In 2002, voters approved a change in the legislative session from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. Following this change, the even-numbered year session is limited to 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days; the odd-numbered year session is limited to 30 legislative days in 45 calendar days. Special sessions may be called by a majority petition of each house, with length limited to 30 calendar days. All legislators are elected for concurrent four-year terms; they must be at least 18 years old, qualified voters, and have resided in the state for two years and in their districts for at least one year preceding election. The legislative salary in 2002 was $16,800.
Statewide elected executive officials include the governor and lieutenant governor (separately elected), secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, superintendent of education, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance, and commissioner of elections. All are elected for four-year terms. The governor must be a qualified elector, be at least 25 years old, and have been a US and Louisiana citizen for five years preceding election; after two full consecutive terms, a governor may not run for reelection. The same eligibility requirements apply to the lieutenant governor, except that there is no limit on succession to the latter office. In 2002 the governor's salary was $95,000, unchanged from 1999. Other executive agencies are the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, whose eight elected members and three appointed members serve four-year terms, and the Public Service Commission, whose five members serve for six years.
To become law, a bill must receive majority votes in both the senate and the house and be signed by the governor, be left unsigned (for 10 days when the legislature is in session or for 20 days following the legislature's adjournment) but not vetoed by the governor, or be passed again by two-thirds votes of elected members of both houses over the governor's veto. Appropriation bills must originate in the house but may be amended by the senate. The governor has an item veto on appropriation bills. Constitutional amendments require approval by two-thirds of the elected members of each house and ratification by a majority of the people voting on it at the next general election.
Voters in Louisiana must be US citizens, 18 years old, and state residents. Restrictions apply to convicted felons and those declared mentally incompetent by the court.