Provenance: Openlibrary.com
Creoles in the Louisiana legislature (percentage)
and Language Provisions
Constitution of 1812: Fifty-six percent
Article 6
That all laws that may be passed by the legislature, and the public records of the State, and the judicial and legislative written proceedings of the same, shall be promulgated, preserved and conducted in the language in which the constitution of the United States is written.
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Constitution of 1845: Thirty-five percent
Article 132
The Constitution and laws of this State shall be promulgated in the French and English languages.
Article 104
The Secretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the House of Representatives, shall be conversant with the French and English languages ; and members may address either house in the French or English language.
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Constitution of 1852: Twenty percent
Article 101 The Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives shall be conversant with the French and English languages, and members may address either house in the French or English language.
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Constitution of 1864: Eighteen percent
English made only judicial, civil and educational language.
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Constitution of 1868: Thirty-one percent
Article 109
The laws, publics records, and judicial and legislative proceedings of the State shall be promulgated and preserved in the English language; and no law shall require judicial process to be issued in any other than the English language.
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Constitution of 1879
Article 154
The laws, public records, and the judicial and legislative written proceedings of the State shall be promulgated, preserved and conducted in the English language; but the General Assembly may provide for the publication of the laws in the French language, and prescribe that judicial advertisements in certain designated cities ans parishes shall also be made in that language.
Article 226
The general exercices in the public schools shall be conducted in the English language and the elementary branches taught therein; provided, that these elementary branches may also be taught in the French language in those parishes in the States or localities in said parishes where the French language predominates, if no additional expense is incurred thereby.
Article 228
No funds raised for the support of the public schools of the State shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian schools.
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Constitution of 1898: twenty-two percent
Article 251
The general exercises in the public schools shall be conducted in the English language and the elementary branches taught therein; provided, that these elementary branches may also be taught in the French language in those parishes in the States or localities in said parishes where the French language predominates, if no additional expense is incurred thereby.
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Constitution of 1913: nineteen percent
Article 248
There shall be free public schools for the white and colored races, separately established by the General Assembly, throughout the State for the education of all the children of the State between the ages of six and eighteen years; provided, that where kindergarten schools ‘exist, children between the ages of four and six may be admitted into said schools. All funds raised by the State for the support of public ‘schools, except poll taxes, shall be distributed to each parish in proportion to the number of children therein between ‘the ages of six and eighteen years. The General Assembly shall provide for the enumeration of educable children.
Article 251
The general exercises in the public schools shall be conducted in the English language; provided, that the French language may be taught in those parishes or localities where the French language predominates, if no additional expense is incurred thereby.
Article 253
No funds raised for the support of the public schools of the State shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any private or sectarian schools.
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Constitution of 1921
Section 47
Qualifications election and terms
Justices of the peace shall be of good moral character, freeholders and qualified electors, able to read and write the English language correctly, and shall possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed by law.
They shall be elected at the general state election for terms of four years, by the qualified voters within the territorial limits of their jurisdiction.
Article XII
Public Education
Section 1
Educational system, how constituted
The educational system of the State shall consist of all free public schools, and all institutions of learning, supported in whole or in part by appropriation of public funds. Separate free public schools shall be maintained for the education of white and colored children between the ages of six and eighteen years; provided, that kindergartens may be authorized for children between the ages of four and six years.
Section 12
Exercices in English
The general exercises in the public schools shall be conducted in the English language.
Section 13
No public funds for private or sectarian schools
No public funds shall be used for the support of any private or sectarian school.
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Constitution of 1968
– Law 408 To provide French language instruction from grades 1 through 5 and grades 9 through 11.
– Law 259 Louisiana universities and colleges encouraged to train teachers qualified to teach in the French language.
– Law 256 acknowledges French as an officially recognized language in juridical and contract publications.
– Law 458 authorizing the establishment of a nonprofit French language publicly broadcast television station (the law was never applied, however).
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Constitution of 1974 (modified in 1999)
Article 12
Section 4
Preservation of Linguistic and Cultural Origins
The right of the people to preserve, foster, and promote their respective historic linguistic and cultural origins is recognized.
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Act 263 (2014)
TRANSPORTATION: Requires DOTD to supplement the manual on uniform traffic control devices to permit certain guide signs to appear in English and Louisiana French.
House Bill 998