BATON ROUGE, La. — Lawmakers challenged Gov. Bobby Jindal’s selection of appointees to state boards and commissions, saying the governor hasn’t chosen enough women or minorities, particularly for higher education panels.
The criticism came largely from Black lawmakers on Wednesday. Their efforts to pass legislation to mandate more diversity in gubernatorial appointments, however, failed to gain traction from the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, which defeated both bills amid opposition from Jindal’s office.
In sharp exchanges, Rep. Rick Gallot, chairman of the committee, told Jindal officials that the governor has favored his campaign contributors and White men in choosing people to serve on the hundreds of boards and commissions over which Jindal has appointments. Gallot noted that near the end of 2010, Jindal appointed eight people to college oversight boards, all of whom were White and seven of whom were campaign donors.
“The governor obviously, obviously has not appointed diversity to these boards,” Gallot said.
Rep. Jared Brossett, D-New Orleans, said minorities represent more than one-third of Louisiana’s population, but only 13 percent of Jindal’s board appointees since taking office in 2008. Women have been tapped by Jindal for about one-quarter of the board openings though they represent more than half the state’s residents, according to Brossett’s data.
Jonathan Ringo, with the governor’s office, said Jindal has appointed more minorities to panels than his two predecessors and chooses people based on their qualifications, not their skin color or donations to his re-election efforts.
“Number one, you should be a campaign contributor?” Gallot asked.
