Jeremy Alford and David Jacobs: Governor is changing the way La. is run

Less than two years into his first term, and with legislative assistance from a GOP supermajority, Gov. Jeff Landry is steering a sophisticated, multi-layered reorganization of state government that’s “unprecedented in its scope” and already altering Louisiana’s regulatory and rule-making landscapes.
Lost in the background noise of social media and blinded by the glare of national politics is the fact that Louisiana’s government hasn’t changed this much — so fast — in at least 51 years, marking the 1974 ratification of our state’s current (and heavily-amended) Constitution.
“Gov. Landry, in the course of about a year, has done more major restructuring of government agencies across the board than anybody I can think of,” said Barry Erwin, the chief policy officer with Leaders for a Better Louisiana, who has spent two decades as a “good government” lobbyist and another 15 years as a journalist in both north and south Louisiana.
Erwin added, “I think it’s fair to say what they are doing now is unprecedented in its scope.”
Through a mix of unilateral actions, such as executive orders and board appointments, and approved legislation that drew minimal opposition, Landry has upended the status quo at departments and agencies overseeing economic development, ethics compliance, emergency management, natural resources, public safety, social services, transportation and workforce development.
Ask Landry’s top hands and they’ll say the governor is building a new mold with the goal of making government more efficient, accountable and responsive to citizens of the state.
Dig a bit deeper and you’ll find the core Republican principle of a smaller government.
“The changes across agencies reflect a broader strategy of reducing bureaucratic red tape,” said Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly, “and having a government that actually works for the people of Louisiana.” 
To be fair, other governors have left similar marks, although smaller in scope. Think Gov. Bobby Jindal and his revised charity health care system or Gov. Mike Foster and the birth of the modern community and technical college system. 
“I think most governors want to come in and change things up to some degree,” said Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio. “I don’t think [former Democratic Gov.] John Bel [Edwards] did that very much, but he also knew he was in a different circumstance, in that the [GOP] Legislature was a little bit tougher to work with.”
Aside from his failed attempts to rewrite the finance and taxation article of the Constitution, one of the few areas where Landry’s drive for systematic change faltered has been civil service. For instance, Landry tried to strip protections from hundreds of state positions, but was turned back by the Civil Service Commission.
That battle, however, is far from over. Voters will consider a proposed constitutional amendment next year to give the Legislature authority to move categories of workers to the unclassified side. That move could likewise put the governor in a position to demand more restructuring — with or without legislative assistance.
Landry doesn’t mind being the tip of the spear for such efforts, as evidenced by his approach to boards and commissions. The governor even backed legislation giving himself the power to name the chairs of boards where the majority of members are his appointments, of which there are almost 150. 
The governor’s focus on the Ethics Board in particular has raised eyebrows, as he has backed legislation to change certain rules while simultaneously facing charges related to those same rules. Landry has even been at the heart of major membership changes to the Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board and the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East.
Geographically, Landry has taken a keen interest in the internal affairs of New Orleans, recognizing the city’s importance to the state’s economy and brand. Expressing waning confidence in local law enforcement, he added Troop NOLA to Louisiana State Police. The decision has cut crime stats in an unmissable way, resulting in 500 arrests, 50 stolen vehicles recovered and 200 firearms seized since the Troop’s launch in March 2024. 
Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson and District Attorney Jason Williams have become regular targets for Landry & Co., especially in the wake of 10 inmates escaping from Orleans Parish Prison in May. But Landry seems to zero in on Williams the most and blames the DA for fostering a “progressive criminal justice system” that’s soft on criminals.
Legislators, for their part, have picked up on the theme. Judiciary C Chair Jay Morris has planned a Sept. 11 meeting to “look into the bench trials conducted in Orleans Parish in which the DA’s Office put on no testimony or other evidence, made no opening statement and no closing argument, resulting in multiple acquittals.”
In fact, much of Landry’s success in relation to reshaping state government can be found at the intersection of the Executive and Legislative branches.
“Governors do have powers of their own,” noted Pearson Cross, a political scholar at UL-Monroe. “But a governor in concert with a Legislature, that’s where the real power is.”
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on X @ LaPoliticsNow.