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Commission flags risk of forced transfer of New Orleans water‑board workers; debate over constitutional change to unclassified service continues
Summary
Director warned that if House Bill 190 does not move, statute could require roughly 1,300 Sewage & Water Board employees to be brought into the State Civil Service system by Aug. 1; commissioners also discussed Senate Bill 8, which would let the legislature add positions to the unclassified service via constitutional amendment.
State Civil Service staff told commissioners on June 4 they were monitoring multiple bills that could reshape the state’s civil‑service landscape and raised immediate operational concerns if legislative action stalls.
Director Decoteau told the commission that House Bill 190 — intended to clarify earlier direction about transferring employees of the New Orleans Sewage & Water Board — had not progressed through the House calendar and, if it fails to move, the underlying statute could trigger an August 1 deadline to bring roughly 1,300 employees under state civil‑service rules. Decoteau said staff have contacted the bill’s author and the New Orleans City Civil Service director to seek clarification or a resolution because classifying and integrating that many employees on short notice would require substantial payroll and classification work.
Decoteau also briefed members on Senate Bill 8 (Sen. Jane Morris), which the director said would allow the legislature, by law or ultimately by ballot language as a constitutional amendment, to add officers and positions to the unclassified service. Staff noted the current wording could have unintended effects on city civil‑service systems — including New Orleans’ fire and police — and said amendments were likely while the measure proceeds to House floor debate.
Commissioner Hughes used a point of personal privilege to contest how his remarks have been represented in hearings over Senate Bill 8. He said that an elected official had placed his comments ‘‘out of context’’ and denied advocating for unchecked authority over classified employees. He defended the merit‑based system and said he had not observed members of the public turning out in support of the measure at the public hearings he watched. His comments were recorded on the public meeting record; no on‑record rebuttal from the legislator was presented during the commission meeting.
Staff said they will continue to engage the bill authors and the New Orleans City Civil Service office and will update the commission at its next meeting if the calendar changes. The commission adjourned to executive session following the public business.
Next procedural step: staff will forward Exhibit A for pay‑plan changes to the governor and will continue to monitor and report back on the status of House Bill 190 and Senate Bill 8.
