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 prohibit adding officers, positions and employees of "any regulatory, law enforcement, or fire protection agency" to the unclassified service. Floor colloquy showed lawmakers disagreed over what "regulatory" would cover and whether such an exclusion belonged in a constitutional amendment. That amendment was put to a recorded vote and failed on the floor (8 yeas, 88 nays as reported on the machine).

Opponents raised broader concerns about politicizing hiring and job security. Representative Stagney urged a no vote and described the bill as "harmful," noting civil service processes typically uphold agency disciplinary actions and characterizing the civil service system as a long‑standing merit system that protects employees from political pressure. "This bill is harmful. It is unnecessary, and the information has been false and misleading," Stagney said on the floor.

Proponents argued that employees already covered by classified status would retain protections and that the amendment would provide another statutory path (via the Legislature) to change a position's classification. Representative Beaulieu and others cited constitutional and legal interpretations discussed on the floor, noting that an employee with permanent classified status is treated as having a property right under Article 10 and could not be stripped of that status without due process; the practical effect, as described on the floor, is that changing a position's classification would affect future incumbents or vacancies rather than removing protections from current classified employees.

The floor also focused on ballot language and scope. Members asked why the ballot language refers to "officers, positions, and employees" when proponents said the practical effect would be limited to positions (not the immediate removal of an individual's classified protections). Representative Beaulieu said he had not drafted the ballot language and that legal officers were handling that drafting.

After the amendment votes and extended questioning from members, the House approved the joint resolution for placement on the ballot by recorded machine vote (70 ayes, 28 nays). The transcript shows earlier committee work and multiple amendments offered and discussed on the floor; one set of DeWitt amendments was withdrawn and a later DeWitt amendment failed in a recorded vote.

Recorded actions: amendment to exclude regulatory/law enforcement/fire protection employees — failed (machine vote reported as 8 yeas, 88 nays). Final passage of Senate Bill 8 on the floor — approved by machine vote, 70 ayes, 28 nays.

Floor discussion also referenced Article 10 of the state constitution and civil service practice: members were told classified employees have protected status that is difficult to remove and that the proposed change would create a legislative route to reclassify positions by statute rather than replacing the civil service board's role.