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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
State employees' civil service protections in doubt as constitutional amendment advances
Louisiana lawmakers may life restrictions on gifts for elected officials and government employees. (Photo by Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) A proposed constitutional amendment to dismantle a 73-year-old civil service system created to stop politically-influenced job placements in Louisiana government was narrowly approved Monday in the state House of Representatives. Senate Bill 8, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris. R-West Monroe, cleared the chamber in a 70-28 vote, reaching the very minimum two-thirds support required to put constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot. The measure will return to the Senate for a final vote on some House amendments and. If approved, it will go before voters in the Nov. 3, 2026, election. Confusion over the bill that many hoped would be cleared up only deepened Monday, specifically on whether the proposal would apply only to future state employee hires or if it could be used to remove existing state employees. Morris' bill would change the Louisiana Constitution to give state lawmakers power that currently rests with the Civil Service Commission, a seven-member independent review panel that oversees the hiring, promotion and firing of 28,000 'classified' state workers. The commission, working with state agencies on staffing goals, has the power to create and eliminate job positions and decide which jobs should have a protected classified status and which should not. Classified employees enjoy some degree of protection against politically-motivated or otherwise unfair terminations and disciplinary practices because they have the right to appeal such decisions to the Civil Service Commission, which has the final say on staffing matters for most state agencies. In a previous interview and during committee hearings on the bill, Morris said his bill would allow the legislature to designate classified state employees as unclassified, meaning they could be fired at will. But several changes to the legislation's text and its proposed ballot language have raised questions about whether current state employees will be at risk of losing their jobs. Presenting the bill on the House floor Monday, Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, repeatedly assured his colleagues the proposal would apply only to future hires. He based his assurances on the argument that the amendment allows only for job positions to become unclassified, not employees. If the Legislature were to unclassify a job position, any state employees currently holding those positions would not be affected, he said. Beaullieu's argument didn't land with several lawmakers opposed to the measure. Rep. Matt Willard, D-New Orleans, reading from the text of the proposal, asked why the ballot language specifically indicates the amendment applies to 'officers, positions and employees' – a phrase that appears twice in the bill. Caught off-guard by Willard's question, Beaullieu couldn't explain the discrepancy, referring questions to Morris, the bill's author. In a later interview, Morris would not offer any assurances as to whether existing classified employees would get to keep their protections. 'Obviously, only employees can be unclassified,' Morris said. 'Positions are employees. You can't unclassify them if somebody's not working.' Morris also refused to say if his intention is for the amendment to apply only to future hires. 'It's not gonna apply to anybody unless we pass a law,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers put some limits back in place on gifts to public officials
Rep. Beau Beaullieu has updated his proposal to change state ethics laws concerning gifts to public officials. (Allison Allsop/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers are no longer looking to broadly lift restrictions on gifts to elected officials and public employees while doing their jobs, but they appear intent on discouraging ethics investigations. Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-Iberia, removed language from House Bill 674 that would have allowed public servants to receive $200 worth of gifts annually. This would have applied to all local and state government employees, from a local police officer to the governor. Instead, Beaullieu has rewritten the legislation to keep a portion of a current limitation on government worker gifts in place. Now, gifts that aren't food would be mostly restricted to $200 worth of flowers or a charitable donation to express sympathy for a family death. New allowances for 'seasonal' food and beverages remain in the legislation, however. Under current law, most public officials are not supposed to receive food and drink as gifts unless it's at a party or reception. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Under existing rules, they have to consume the food in person at the event where it is given. The edible gift can cost no more than $79 per person, a cutoff the Louisiana Board of Ethics adjusts every year based on the Consumer Price Index. Beaullieu's updated proposal would allow elected leaders and public employees to take seasonal or holiday foods as gifts for a religious or state holiday, even outside of a party or reception. The cap on food gifts would also be $79 per person per holiday or whatever new price the ethics board adopts in future years. Besides the gift policy changes, Beaullieu's bill contains several ethics law modifications that would make it much harder for the state ethics board to investigate and charge people with misconduct. The ethics board oversees enforcement of campaign finance laws and the state ethics code for public employees, elected officials and lobbyists. Anyone from a public school teacher to the governor can be subject of one of its investigations. The adjustments Beaullieu proposes would require more members of the ethics board to vote in favor of pursuing an investigation and give the board far less time to decide whether a person should be charged with ethical wrongdoing. People accused of ethics violations would also have more ability to push back on the allegations under Beaullieu's bill. If the legislation were to pass, the new standards that would have to be met in order for the ethics board to launch an investigation would be very difficult to achieve. For example, the ethics board would have to be confident that wrongdoing had occurred in order to sign off on any preliminary probe into the alleged misconduct. Ethics Administrator David Bordelon said earlier this month the process Beaullieu seeks would 'skew' the process in favor of the public servant accused of wrongdoing. He also took issue with a new restriction Beaullieu proposed Tuesday on ethical investigations and charges. The state representative added language to his bill prohibiting the ethics board from launching an investigation based on information it received through an advisory opinion request. The board is frequently asked to explain how ethics laws apply in specific situations through advisory opinions. It issues at least a few of these public letters monthly providing feedback. 'If someone submits an advisory opinion request that indicates a violation has already occurred, it should be within the board's prerogative to initiate an investigation of that,' Bordelon told senators at a committee hearing Tuesday. Beaullieu said he is trying to overhaul state ethics investigations because many elected officials feel the board has been too aggressive when pursuing allegations. The state's preeminent state government watchdog, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, has come out strongly against the bill. 'This is designed to make sure we don't have ethics investigations,' Steven Procopio, the organization's president, said of the proposed changes. The legislation is backed by Gov. Jeff Landry, who has had several personal conflicts with the ethics board over his nine years in statewide office. In 2023, the board charged Landry in 2023 with the ethics violation of failing to disclose flights he took on a political donor's private plane to Hawaii for an attorneys general conference. That dispute is ongoing because the governor and board members have not reached an agreement on what Landry's punishment for the violation should be. Stephen Gelé, the attorney representing Landry in this ethics dispute, also helped write Beaullieu's legislation to overhaul the state's ethics laws. The Louisiana Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the bill Tuesday with no objections. An earlier version of the proposal also passed the Louisiana House unanimously, but both the Senate and the House will have to approve the amended version before it can become law. It must pass by the Louisiana Legislature's session adjournment June 12. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers may lift restrictions on gifts to elected officials, government employees
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Louisiana lawmakers may life restrictions on gifts for elected officials and government employees. (Photo by Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers are quickly moving legislation that would dramatically expand the types of gifts elected officials and government employees could receive while doing their jobs. House Bill 674, sponsored by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, would eliminate a prohibition in state ethics law on public sector employees and elected leaders from receiving gifts in most circumstances. Instead, government employees would be able to receive any type of gift worth up to $100 per event with an annual cap of $200. They would be able to accept an additional $200 in 'seasonal or holiday food' gifts for a total limit of $400 gifts from an individual or entity annually. 'It seems to me that they have now changed this to allow a $100 gift for any purpose,' ethics board member Alfred 'Butch' Speer said during Friday's board meeting in discussion about the proposed ethics legislation. Speer was the Louisiana House of Representatives clerk and general counsel for 35 years and appointed to the ethics board by former Gov. John Bel Edwards after he retired . In his former job, he was in charge of helping educate and advise legislators on ethics restrictions, including gift restrictions. If Beaullieu's bill passes, the higher threshold of gift giving would be open to most public employees, from local health inspectors and motor vehicle office workers to legislators and the governor. The only public employees with stricter gift restrictions might be K-12 teachers. An existing ban on public school educators receiving a gift over $25 per item from a student, with a maximum of $75 per year, would remain unchanged. 'Does it create a situation where you are going to have a lot more gifts flying around the state? Absolutely,' state Ethics Administrator David Bordelon told ethics board members. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Beaullieu said in an interview that he was open to changing the gift-giving provision in his bill if requested. It also contains dozens of other ethics law changes unrelated to gifts. The Louisiana House approved the bill 96-0 Monday, with no questions from representatives before they voted to advance it to the Senate. Stephen Gelé, a private attorney who works on ethics and campaign finance matters for Gov. Jeff Landry, helped write the legislation. He said the bill was crafted with input from the ethics board staff, civic organizations and public servants who have faced ethics investigations. The state's current zero tolerance for gift giving is excessive, punishes people who are acting ethically and creates confusion, he said. Criminal statutes exist to deal with people who abuse gift giving for the purpose of bribery and other corruption, according to Gelé. 'Prior absolute prohibitions lead to confusion, waste of public servant time, and therefore waste of taxpayer dollars,' Gelé said in a written statement Friday. 'HB 674 maintains prohibitions on public servants accepting gifts in amounts that would tend to create the appearance of corruption.' Bordelon agreed there is a lot of confusion among government workers about gift giving. The ethics board staff has fielded calls from librarians, for example, about whether they can accept cookies from patrons for Librarian Appreciation Day. Several public servants have asked whether they are allowed to receive king cakes during Mardi Gras season. 'We get a ton of phone calls about gifts,' Bordelon said. Yet Beaullieu's bill might nullify other state laws that place restrictions on what food, drinks and promotional materials can be given to elected officials and public employees. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Public servants are only able to accept the equivalent of $79 worth of food and drink at any single event they attend in person under the current law. The cap will go up to $81 in July because it is tied to the federal Consumer Price Index which has also increased. If Beaullieu's bill becomes law, the cap would automatically jump to $100 for food and drink at two events per year, or $200 per one event if as long as 'seasonal or holiday food,' is featured, Speer said. The limitations on state employees and elected officials accepting 'promotional' items, typically from lobbyists and industry groups, to just those that have 'no resale value,' would also be lifted. For example, business and industry groups that now give state lawmakers hats or plastic cups with their logos on them could possibly give out promotional items worth up to $100 during the legislative session. Unlike some other spending, lobbyists and interest groups would not be required to publicly report their gifts or the elected officials and public employees who receive them under the bill, Speer said.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As charges linger over Landry, Louisiana House votes to overhaul ethics investigations
The Louisiana House voted 96-0 for a rewrite of the state ethics laws on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Julie O'Donoghue/Louisiana Illuminator) Investigations into public officials for alleged misconduct could be significantly blunted under a proposal moving forward in the Louisiana Legislature. The bill targets the same process used to bring ethics charges against Gov. Jeff Landry two years ago. The House of Representatives voted 96-0 Monday for House Bill 674, sponsored by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia. It would give elected officials and government employees more tools to push back on a state ethics investigation. The legislation will now be heard in the Senate. Members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics said the measure would make it harder for the state to pursue charges over ethical misconduct. At 30 pages, the bill is complex and makes dozens of changes to procedures and policies. Yet not one state representative asked a question about it on the House floor Monday before members voted to approve it. Beaullieu said lawmakers from both parties are frustrated with the ethics board, which has been accused of harassing public officials and lacking transparency. The legislation was drafted with the help of Stephen Gelé, an attorney representing Landry in his negotiations with the ethics board over his charges from 2023. Landry did not disclose flights he took on a political donor's private plane to Hawaii while attorney general in 2021, although state law required him to do so. Gelé said Beaullieu's bill wouldn't impact the outcome of Landry's pending charges because it would only apply to complaints and investigations that occur after the legislation passes. Advocates for government transparency have expressed concerns, however. Last week, Ethics Administrator David Bordelon also described the proposed new investigative process as 'skewed' in favor of a public servant accused of wrongdoing. 'It presents some sort of questionable standards,' Bordelon told state ethics board members at their meeting Friday during a lengthy discussion on the legislation. The ethics board oversees the enforcement of campaign finance laws and the state ethics code for public employees, elected officials and lobbyists. Anyone from a public school teacher to the governor can be subject of one of its investigations. Bordelon said witnesses and people interviewed by the ethics staff during an investigation might be less forthcoming if changes in the bill are adopted. Under the legislation, the board would be required to turn over witness statements and documents it secures early in the investigative process, even if the board chooses not to pursue charges. 'It is very much going to change how we obtain the documents and how we present the documents,' Bordelon said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The ethics board will also have less time to decide whether to issue charges over an ethics violation under Beaullieu's legislation. Currently, the board has a year from when it receives a sworn complaint about an alleged ethical violation to bring charges or once the board votes to investigate a potential violation. House Bill 674 would add several more steps to that process by allowing the subject of the complaint to object and respond to accusations more often during the board's deliberations. 'They are lopping off a couple of months, minimum,' ethics board member Alfred 'Butch' Speer said. Former Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Speer to the board after he had served as clerk of the Louisiana House for 35 years. Bordelon agreed. 'From the staff level, we will need to have investigations done quicker,' he said. Speer is worried the legislation would let subjects facing ethics charges 'run out' the clock on investigations by stalling on depositions and other time-consuming procedures allowed under the bill. He suggested the legislature look at giving the ethics board two years to issue charges instead of adding more steps to the process. 'If they drag their feet long enough, then we run out of time,' Speer said. Retired Judge Vanessa Whipple, an ethics board appointee of Gov. Landry, said she's worried the bill would allow any district court in the state to intervene in an ethics investigation so long as a witness in the case lived in its jurisdiction. Currently, ethics cases that reach a state judge on appeal are handled in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, where the ethics board is located. Whipple said this provision could result in district and appellate courts issuing conflicting decisions on ethics matters. The proposed changes would also require the ethics board to expand its staff, especially if they are expected to present in district courts across the state, Whipple added. The board would likely need at least one more attorney and possibly more support workers, she said. Bordelon said a financial analysis of the bill he provided to the legislature indicates the changes would cost $100,000 annually. Before the House vote, Beaullieu made one adjustment to his bill in response to complaints from government transparency advocates. He removed a provision that would have required a district court judge to halt subpoenas for an investigation if they annoyed, embarrassed or oppressed a witness. Last year, Landry and lawmakers made changes to the ethics board that give the governor more control over its members. Landry now gets to select his board appointees directly. Previously, he could only pick them from lists the leaders of Louisiana's private colleges and universities provided — a provision meant to insulate the board from political pressure. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
