News roundup: Jindal orders continuation of hiring freeze … New CEO takes helm at LITE … State receives 10,300 voucher applications

Published Jul 11, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Updated Jul 11, 2012)

Another year: Gov. Bobby Jindal announced today he has signed an executive order continuing a limited hiring freeze for the executive branch of state government. The order will remain in effect throughout fiscal year 2013, ending June 30 next year. Jindal says the limited hiring freeze—the details of which you can read about at his website here—will achieve at least $13 million in savings for the state's general fund. The state's elected officials and the Louisiana Legislature aren't covered by the governor's order.

Shine a light: Kam Ng, who was tapped in April to help lead the Lafayette-based Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise as CEO, has officially started his new position. Ng is relieving Robert Twilley, who has served as the interim CEO for LITE since November 2010. Ng is joining the LITE team after retiring from the Office of Naval Research as the deputy director for research. Learn more about Ng at the LITE website here.

Finding seats: The Louisiana Department of Education announced today that the state has received more than 10,300 student applications for the new statewide voucher program that begins in August and will use tax dollars to send children to private and parochial schools. Also today, state Superintendent of Education John White released the criteria for participation in the Louisiana Scholarship Program. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of seats available at a specific school and grade level, then those scholarship seats will be awarded through a prioritized lottery process the week of July 16.