Governor’s potential power over higher ed pulled back in Senate bill

The Louisiana Senate has pulled back the reins of a proposal that would have given the governor unprecedented power over appointed boards and commissions, including the ability to hire university system presidents. 

Senators approved a bill Tuesday that would change the terms of appointees of boards not in the constitution to run concurrently with the governor’s term, giving the governor immediate control over those positions. 

In its original form, Senate Bill 462 by Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, would have given the governor authority to appoint chairs and other officers for hundreds of boards and commissions as long as he or she sends notice to the affected groups within 180 days of taking office. 

The bill passed on a 28-10 vote after the Senate unanimously adopted a series of amendments that watered down the legislation. In its current state, the governor would no longer have to wait for their predecessor’s appointees to cycle through. 

Language that limits the governor’s authority only to boards and commissions not in the constitution protects education-related boards, which were a point of contention in Hodges’ original bill. The original version would have allowed the governor to directly hire university system presidents, which state law defines as officers. 

“There shall be a president of each public postsecondary education system, who shall be the executive officer of the postsecondary system and shall serve as secretary to the system’s governing board and its executive committee and standing and special committees,” the current law reads. 

Hodges’ bill is supported by Gov. Jeff Landry, who has said higher education is the motivating factor behind the bill. 

“This fight is all about universities,” Landry said in an April interview with WAFB-TV. “The people of this state are ready for these universities to start taking some responsibility for putting out students that are graduating with degrees that they can’t even get a job for.” 

Governors already appoint members of the four university and college system boards of supervisors. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accrediting body for Louisiana universities, requires that governing boards for its accredited schools are free from undue external influence. Giving the governor additional authority over higher education governing boards could put the accreditation of state colleges and universities in jeopardy. 

Hodges’ bill will next be discussed in the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. House members will have the opportunity to make changes to the bill and could opt to remove the Senate amendments.