BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Louisiana House refused to require convicted felons to wait five years after serving their sentences before they can run for office in Louisiana.
The constitutional amendment by Sen. Conrad Appel, a Metairie Republican, got a 63-16 vote Wednesday, short of the 70 votes needed.
The Senate had supported the measure unanimously earlier this session.
In prior years, House lawmakers have supported longer waits for felons, but couldn't win Senate agreement. The five-year provision was an effort to compromise.
The House could try another vote, but only a few days remain in the session.
Louisiana had an amendment barring felons from seeking office for 15 years. The Louisiana Supreme Court overturned the provision in 2016, saying voters approved a version differing from one lawmakers passed.