Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order last week calling for flags over the State Capitol and other state buildings to be flown at half-staff to commemorate the life of Dolly Parton, who died last week at the age of 80.
That declaration brought the number of executive orders Landry has issued to 406 in less than three years as governor. By contrast, Gov. John Bel Edwards issued 245 in eight years.
The direct comparison between Landry and his immediate predecessor is a little misleading. More than half of Landry’s orders declare emergencies or disasters, or extend existing emergency declarations that in some cases date back to the JBE administration. Edwards declared emergencies by proclamation, rather than through executive orders, which holds down his total.
Still, the general trend is unmistakable. Landry already has issued more executive orders during his first term than any governor since the current state constitution went into effect in 1975, and it’s not even close. Edwards issued 157 in his first term, while Gov. Bobby Jindal had 183 and Gov. Mike Foster had 256.
Governors typically issue the most orders during their first year as they establish their agendas (which sometimes means overturning the previous governor’s orders), so comparing first terms comes closest to an apples-to-apples comparison. Gov. Kathleen Blanco issued 102 during her sole term, while Gov. Buddy Roemer had 141 and Gov. Dave Treen had 86.
Gov. Edwin Edwards was in the midst of an eight-year run on the fourth floor when the constitution was ratified. But if you want to look at the two nonconsecutive terms that came later, his totals were 228 (1984-1987) and 213 (1992-1995).
What is Landry doing with all those orders? In some cases, he is executing a significant policy shift with the stroke of a pen, rather than through legislation.
His very first executive order struck down a graduation appeals process for students who fail standardized tests. This year, he cut $168 million from the Minimum Foundation Program that funds public education to pay for a salary bump for teachers.
Landry also created at least six new commissions, boards, advisory councils or task forces through executive orders. That includes his higher education task force, which recommended that Louisiana’s colleges and universities join a new accrediting body favored by conservative politicians.
He frequently uses executive orders to announce an internal process to the outside world. That’s how he unveiled his “Lightning Speed Initiative,” an administration effort meant to “ensure challenges and delays are identified and addressed in real time” and make the state’s economy more competitive. Four orders address streamlining permitting processes.
Landry also likes to use executive orders to declare his position on an issue, even when the order has little practical effect. He got a lot of headlines in his first year with an order purporting to ban “critical race theory” in public schools. But the order didn’t actually change any policies, though it said Education Superintendent Cade Brumley (who answers to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, not the governor directly) “will continue” to keep an eye out for CRT.
Often, Landry will use an order to establish his alignment with the Trump administration, on issues ranging from immigration enforcement to renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. When he issued an order to prepare for the impact of a federal government shutdown, he made a point of calling it the “Schumer shutdown,” after Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
So Landry’s executive orders often are as much political statements as policy directives, if not more so. But of course they also sometimes make substantive changes that get very little attention from media and the general public, like killing a fee hike by the Louisiana State Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners.
And in case you’re wondering, by our count, Landry’s tribute to Dolly Parton marks the 51st time he has ordered flags to half-staff.
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
