Amendment 1: For - Amendment 1 is two legislative efforts in one — renewal of a 4-cent cigarette tax the Legislature approved and Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed, and a dedicated revenue source amounting to about one-third of what's needed for the state TOPS college scholarship program. If approved, TOPS still would rely on the state general fund for about two-thirds of its money; the change would free about $40 million now spent on TOPS to be used in other areas of the state budget.

Amendment 2: For - Amendment 2 this would require the Louisiana Legislature to use at least 5 percent of any surplus or one-time money to make additional payments on the debts of two of the state's four pension funds. After the first two years, the percentage would rise to at least 10 percent. In 2010, the four funds' unfunded liability amounted to more than $18 billion.

Using non-recurring dollars to reduce the liability already is allowed. The amendment sets a minimum dedicated to this purpose. And as most consumers know, making extra payments on a debt can lessen the total amount owed and result in an early payoff.

Amendment 3: For - Amendment 3 would protect the state's Patients Compensation Fund, set up to pay medical malpractice claims, from being raided to help balance the state budget. Lawmakers never have done so, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't. Some argue that this amendment would fix something that isn't broken; but we often enact laws to prevent what could happen, particularly when the potential impact is far greater than had we not acted now. A raid on the fund to help balance the state budget would "shake confidence in the health care provider community and potentially raise the cost of medical malpractice coverage in Louisiana," the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana notes, and those increased costs likely would be passed on to patients and their insurers.

Amendement 4: For - Amendment 4 would give lawmakers access to the Budget Stabilization Fund but also force the Legislature to timely repay any money taken from it. The Legislature would have two years to make deposits into the fund and up to three more to pay it all back, letting lawmakers spread out the expense and better plan for future budgets. It's not that easy for lawmakers to access the fund because revenue has to be declining and then it takes a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to tap into it, Council for A Better Louisiana notes. And failure of this amendment, syndicated political columnist John Maginnis recently noted on this page, could punch a hole in the state's current budget.

Amendment 5: For - Amendment 5 would clean up language in the Louisiana Constitution caused by changes in New Orleans' population. The storm lowered the city's head count below a constitutional threshold that gave New Orleans flexibility in auctioning off tax-delinquent properties. This provision gives the city a tool to deal with abandoned and blighted properties.

Homestead exemption for disabled veterans: Yes

This proposal would double the homestead exemption for military veterans who are unable to work due to service-connected wounds or injuries. Only veterans considered 100 percent disabled by the U.S.  Military Affairs Department would be eligible. The measure — which would double the usual $75,000 exemption — also would apply to surviving spouses. Statewide, it has been estimated that only 2,500 veterans would qualify and the revenue loss would be about $900,000.  So there shouldn't be a great impact on parish tax rolls.