Georgia businesses want better control of former employees who might get job offers from competitors, and they are backing a proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot to limit those employees' ability to work in their field.

Amendment 1 asks if voters would support giving the Legislature the right to pass laws to make Georgia more economically competitive. But opponents of the amendment say it actually protects businesses from competition, by allowing them to put broader non-compete agreements on employees.

The Legislature already has a more restrictive law in the pipeline, and critics say the amendment will allow lawmakers to write even more restrictive laws in the future. Certain employees -- from salespeople to managers -- sign such agreements as a job requirement.

Read more: Atlanta Journal Constitution