Analysis: Louisiana elections offer lessons for politicians

(AP) — Louisiana's elections didn't have the seismic quality of the nation's presidential race, but the state-level competitions offer some modest lessons for Louisiana political leaders, elected officials and those they govern.

Two defeated constitutional amendments should draw attention from state lawmakers, proposals that would have reworked Louisiana's corporate tax laws and that would have given college governing boards the ability to change tuition rates without needing legislative approval.

Voters snubbed a proposal to do away with a tax break that allows businesses to deduct the federal income taxes they pay from their state tax liability.

Voters appeared disinterested in shifting more costs to parents and students after years of tuition and fee hikes have filled gaps created when state financing for higher education was slashed.

The state overwhelmingly choose Republican Donald Trump to be president, more voters choose GOP contenders in the U.S. Senate race than Democratic ones and the congressional delegation will remain majority Republican.

In addition to Fleming and Boustany, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was unsuccessful in his bid for the Senate seat — though last week's election only served to confirm what seemed certain from the early days of Duke's campaign.