Jindal imposes partial hiring freeze, meets with Cabinet

Gov. Bobby Jindal imposed a limited government hiring freeze and created new financial disclosure rules for cabinet members on Tuesday, his first official acts as governor.
Jindal started his first full day in office Tuesday with a full cabinet meeting, then signed four executive orders.
With the inaugural festivities over, Jindal said he’s been telling members of the Legislature to get ready for hard work, because he’s planning two ambitious special legislative sessions before the regular session begins in March.
“I hope they enjoyed the parties this past weekend … because we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” he said.
One of Jindal’s executive orders is a hiring freeze that affects the filling of at least some of the 3,800 vacancies in state government. Jindal said he hopes the freeze will save the state at least $25 million.
Angele Davis, Jindal’s top fiscal adviser, has the authority to override the freeze.
Jindal discussed the new policies at a news conference at the Governor’s Mansion, noting that another new rule would require the resignation of any executive branch appointee who is indicted.
“If there’s even the appearance of an impropriety or a conflict of interest, I’m going to ask that individual, whoever that person might be, to resign from this administration,” Jindal said.
Elements of Jindal’s other executive orders include:
-Beginning in 2009, Jindal’s cabinet members will be required to disclose their sources of income in ranges of dollars, the same requirement that the governor and gubernatorial candidates must follow.
-Any executive branch appointee who is indicted will be asked to resign.
-Details of state spending will be posted, in an accessible way, on the Internet, a move toward the “government transparency” that Jindal campaigned on while running for governor.
-A streamlining of the way the state signs off on federal relief funds to cover reconstruction projects required because of damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Paul Rainwater, head of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, will be the sole point of contact with the federal government on such projects, taking that authority from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.