Indiana state government has lost 5% of its workforce since December. (Getty Images)
It’s one thing to read about a 10% cut in government spending and it’s quite another to delve into spending plans that agencies are filing to meet that mandate. Over and over, it’s clear that state employees are on the front line, shouldering the burden.
If I had to cut 10% from my household budget, I’d have places to look: cutting media subscriptions or streaming and cable services, eating out less, moving to a cheaper phone plan, skipping an annual vacation. You get the point.
But for many agencies, most of their spending — sometimes, more than 90% — is on the employees performing the services for constituents.
So, agencies are laying off employees, not filling jobs and ultimately piling more on staffers that stay. They have to do their own work and the duties of former coworkers.
Two agencies filing plans to meet spending reductions note that positions leaders deem “critical” can be filled — “but first must be vacant for at least 30 calendar days before being posted” to “ensure at least 60-90+ days of cost savings.”
Some are trying to make up for it. The Commission for Higher Education, reported redistributing responsibilities to remaining personnel, along with a collective $70,000 in raises, “to recognize the additional workload.” But the spending plans that have been approved contain few similar examples.
There’s no exact count of layoffs, as news trickles out agency by agency. But the overall loss is coming up in the state’s headcount.
Last December, Indiana peaked at 32,218 state employees. Four agencies — Department of Correction, Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Child Services and Department of Transportation — account for about half of that total.
As of Wednesday, that number has dropped to 30,616. That’s a 5% drop, in less than a year, under Gov. Mike Braun.
I can’t tell you how many employees have reached out in concern. They love their jobs and want to help Hoosiers. But they are frustrated.
First, thousands were forced to come back to the office after hybrid work agreements were rescinded. That has led to irritation – especially those who see Braun spending time at his personal residence in Jasper and getting state-paid helicopter flights back and forth.
Employees, meanwhile, are fighting for spots in crowded parking garages or switching their hours to before dawn to avoid traffic.
How else are agencies cutting spending?
They are also canceling contracts, not replacing vehicles and looking for legal changes, like relaxed mailing requirements.
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And at the same time, some of the agencies have additional duties – such as the Indiana Department of Revenue. Lawmakers added a tax amnesty program in the state budget but didn’t provide resources to make it happen.
Some agencies are receiving exemptions from the cuts. For instance, the Indiana Department of Health successfully requested an exemption to fund the licensing and surveying of health care facilities, according to the spending plan. This is a safety measure that should not be compromised.
And when leaders want a program, they prioritize it.
That will likely happen later this year, as a special session to redistrict congressional boundaries seems inevitable. That could cost a few hundred thousand dollars, depending on how long it lasts. And the Indiana Department of Correction keeps buying expensive execution drugs — up to $300,000 per dose – with some of it expiring unused.
Of course, it’s good to maximize efficiency and make sure state government hasn’t grown too much. But the way to do that is to eliminate unnecessary programs and duties. The problem with today’s effort is that duties are continually added and never taken away. And that leaves fewer state employees to handle the load.
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