The Louisiana governor is not far right. He's pretty moderate from a state that's pretty diverse and therefore moderate, with candidates having to appeal to a broad cross-section of voters.

My impression is that the governor did a poor job of explaining the amendments, so people were confused by the language and so didn't support them.

Keep in mind, Louisiana has a long history of constitutional amendment because it has a government structure that's unique in the US given its unique history in the country.