Louisiana has 485 government boards and commissions. It’s the Amazon rainforest of bureaucracy, and for a state so red that it took a prostitution scandal to put a Democrat in state office, an inconsistent reality to a Republican ideology.
For the past eight years, Democrats have lost major statewide elections in a referendum on big government, yet hundreds of commissions and boards remain.
Following a contentious legislative special session in February, where government spending underwent microscopic investigations in an attempt to stop votes on tax increases, Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, has taken a baby step toward reducing the state’s bureaucratic conglomerate.
Broadwater’s bill, HB842, looks to close four higher education boards — the Executive Board of Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium for Research and Education (LUMCON), the MediFund Board, the LA Tuition Trust Authority (LATTA) and the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission — placing them under the purview of the Board of Regents.
The consolidation does not save the state any money, however. The U.S. Department of Education provides federal dollars for the programs Broadwater hopes to throw under the Board of Regents, but the DOE has to approve these administrative changes to continue providing those funds. Without federal approval, The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, or LOSFA, would then subsequently lose funding, and the state would have to dish out $4.1 million from the state general fund to fill the gap.
It’s doubtful the bill would even make it out of the House Education Committee if the DOE rejects Broadwater’s proposal, but the precedent of streamlining Louisiana’s bureaucracy is paramount.
Gov. John Bel Edwards and legislators eye the 2017 general session as they prepare structural changes to Louisiana’s tax code, including income taxes, sales taxes, tax credits, incentives and exemptions.
Streamlining the tax system and possibly raising income taxes on the wealthy won’t survive a Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee without reducing the 485 state boards and commissions, and diminishing a tangled web of bureaucratic chaos isn’t a bad thing.
The state may not save money through Broadwater’s bill, but if other legislators catch on to these baby steps and turn them into full strides, Louisiana can save money and time through consolidation.
Don’t be fooled, though. The savings won’t be upwards of $1 million, but the streamlining process creates a more efficient governmental system and shows the Louisiana residents who have been asking for smaller government during the past eight years that the Legislature and governor are willing to pursue the people’s will.
Justin DiCharia is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Slidell, Louisiana.