BATON ROUGE — Louisiana residents rejected several constitutional amendments in Saturday's election, dealing with issues including teacher pay raises and the age at which judges must retire. 

With nearly 60 percent of the state's 3,722 precincts reporting unofficial returns, each of five proposed constitutional amendments were being defeated soundly. The closest was Amendment 3, which would have given the state's public school teachers a pay raise. 

Under the Legislature's proposal, the state would have dissolved three education trust funds and used that money for raises. The funds being dissolved are the Education Excellence Fund, the Education Quality Trust Fund and the Support Fund. The amendment would have funded permanent annual raises of $2,250 for teachers and $1,125 for support staff. 

Amendment 5 would have raised the mandatory retirement age for Louisiana judges from 70 to 75. Advocates said it would have allowed for more experienced judges to remain on the bench. Opponents argued that the amendment would essentially create lifetime terms for state judges and that the current age limit ensures that judges are alert and capable. 

Amendment 1 would have given the legislature more authority over which state jobs are protected. Currently, an independent civil service commission determines this, but the amendment would have shifted that power to elected lawmakers. Proponents of Amendment One argued the current system is too rigid and makes it difficult to improve government efficiency. Those against it worried state employees would not be protected from unfair or politically charged firings. 

Amendment 4 addresses property taxes on business inventory. It would have allowed local parishes to reduce or eliminate property taxes on business inventory.

Statewide voters also rejected Amendment 2, which would have created a new school district for the City of St. George, separate from the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. Click here for those results.