Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday issued an executive order instituting a hiring freeze for the executive branch of the state government.
The executive branch includes all state government agencies and departments but excludes local government entities. According to a statement from the governor’s office, Landry’s goal is to “achieve an annualized $20 million in state general fund savings.”
The hiring freeze comes just days after voters rejected Constitutional Amendment No. 2, a sweeping reform of the longest section of the Louisiana Constitution, Article VII, which governs revenue and taxation. The amendment would have moved hundreds of millions in tax revenue from state savings accounts into the state’s general fund.
The amendment’s failure was a major defeat for Landry, who championed the proposal as a means of making Louisiana’s business climate more attractive and competitive.
“To ensure the long-term fiscal health of Louisiana and protect essential services for our most vulnerable citizens, we must take decisive action now to address revenue shortfalls. … This is a necessary step to give the Legislature more options, to prevent deeper cuts to health care and education and to safeguard the future of our state,” a statement from Landry reads.
Per the executive order, no vacancy in an existing or new position within the executive branch will be posted or filled after April 11 without the approval of Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras, though Barras “may develop guidelines for exemption requests.”
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