House approves ballot question to give Legislature role in reclassifying state civil service positions

The Louisiana House voted to place on the ballot Senate Bill 8, a joint resolution that would amend the state Constitution to let the Legislature add or remove officers, positions and employees from the unclassified state civil service. The final passage on the floor was reported by machine vote: 70 ayes, 28 nays.

Author and committee chair Representative Beaulieu framed the proposal as a way to give elected lawmakers a role in deciding which positions should be classified or unclassified. "The civil service reform bill will put a ballot item amendment on the ballot that allow the legislature to legislate with, to civil service and allow the legislator to move positions from classified service to unclassified services," Beaulieu said, adding the change "simply gives us an input in it."

Floor debate focused on who would be insulated from political influence and whether the amendment could politicize hiring. Representative DeWitt offered an amendment intended to…