Louisiana became the Fifth State to place a Measure regarding removing Language from the State Constitution, allowing Involuntary Servitude as a Punishment for a Crime, on the Ballot this year. In Louisiana, Constitutional Amendments require a Two-Thirds Vote from each Chamber to appear on the Ballot.
Each state’s Legislature placed its Involuntary Servitude Measures on the Ballot as a Constitutional Amendment. Of those Five States, One is a Democratic Trifecta, Two are Republican Trifectas, and Two, including Louisiana, have Divided Government.
Here are the rest, with additional descriptions of those Measures:
Alabama: Ratifies an updated and recompiled state constitution drafted to remove racist language, among other changes. The existing section stating “[N]o form of slavery shall exist in this state; there shall not be any involuntary servitude, otherwise than for the punishment of crime” would be removed.
Oregon: Removes language that allows slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments and adds language authorizing an Oregon court or probation or parole agency to order alternatives to incarceration for a convicted individual as part of sentencing.
Tennessee: Removes language allowing slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments and replaces it with the statement, “Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited.”
Vermont: Removes language stating that people could be held as servants, enslaved people, or apprentices with their consent or for paying debts and adds “slavery and indentured servitude in any form are prohibited.”
Currently, Nine State Constitutions include Provisions permitting Involuntary Servitude, and 10 included Provisions permitting Slavery and Involuntary Servitude as Criminal Punishments. These Provisions were added to State Constitutions, in their Original forms, between the 1850s and 1890s. The U.S. ratified the 13th Amendment prohibiting Slavery and Involuntary Servitude in 1865, except as Punishment for Crimes.
The Legislative efforts to Remove this language from State Constitutions kicked off in 2018, when Voters in Colorado approved Amendment A with 66% of the Vote.
Voters in Two States, Nebraska and Utah, Voted to Remove similar Language from their respective Constitutions in 2020.
Nebraska Voters Approved Amendment 1 with 68% of the Vote.
In Utah, Voters approved Constitutional Amendment C with 80% of the vote.
One State, Rhode Island, has included Constitutional Language prohibiting Slavery since 1843.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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