As it contends with a massive budget deficit, Governing magazine reports Louisiana is one of 33 states with fewer in-house analysts on staff to handle its state budget than there were in 2002.
The data come from the National Association of State Budget Officers and shows at least a 20% decline in budget staffers in 20 states, Governing reports.
The result of a downsized workforce is that responsibilities expand for individual employees, and less scrutiny for some government projects while others never get off the ground, the publication reports.
Louisiana has seen a 7.1% decrease in budget staff since 2002 when the state had 28 budget analysts. The number of analysts rose to 31 in 2008 but fell to 26 employees in 2015. In some states, changes in staff result from changes in titles or department reorganizations. Financial difficulties also are to blame.
The NASBO figures show the 33 states with fewer budget analysts have seen a 15% reduction in staff numbers on average since 2002. Cuts have been the worst in Illinois (51%), Arkansas (45%), and Kansas and New Jersey (44% each).
“They have fewer people. They’re swamped,” says Scott Pattison, former director of NASBO and now executive director of the National Governors Association.
