§ 2564. Political
activities prohibited
A. Political activities by and extending to employees of the
classified service are hereby prohibited as follows:
(1) No person shall seek or attempt to use any political
endorsement, in connection with any appointment to a
position in the classified service.
(2) No person shall use or promise to use directly or
indirectly, any official authority or influence, whether
possessed or anticipated, to secure or attempt to secure
for any person an appointment or advantage in appointment
to a position in the classified service, or an increase
in pay or other advantage in employment in any such
position, for the purpose of influencing the vote or
political action of any person, or for any consideration.
(3) No employee in the classified service shall, directly or
indirectly, pay or promise to pay any assessment,
subscription, or contribution for any political
organization or purpose, or solicit or take part in
soliciting any such assessment, subscription, or
contribution. No person shall solicit any such
assessment, subscription or contribution of any employee
in the classified service. The prohibitions of this
paragraph (3) shall not be construed as applying to
membership dues paid or contributions made to
non-political employee organizations, pension funds,
civic enterprises, the Louisiana Civil Service League or
any similar non-political and non-partisan organization.
(4) No employee in the classified service shall (a) be a
member of any national, state, or local committee of a
political party, (b) be an officer or member of a
committee of any factional or political club or
organization, (c) be a candidate for nomination or
election to public office, (d) make any political speech
or public political statement in behalf of any candidate
seeking to be elected to public office, or (e) take any
part in the management or affairs of any political party
or in the political campaign of any candidate for public
office, except to privately express his opinion and to
cast his vote.
(5) No person elected to public office shall, while serving
in the elective office, be appointed to or hold any
position in the classified service.
(6) No appointing authority, or agent or deputy thereof,
shall directly or indirectly, demote, suspend, discharge
or otherwise discipline or discriminate against any
person in the classified service for the purpose of
influencing his vote, support, or other political
activity in any election or primary election. No
appointing authority, or agent or deputy thereof, shall
use his official authority or influence, by threats,
promises or other means, directly or indirectly to coerce
the political action of any employee in the classified
service.
B. The appointing authority shall discharge from the service any
employee whom it deems guilty of violating any one or more of
the provisions to this Part. The board may, upon its own
initiative, investigate any officer or employee in the
classified service whom it reasonably believes guilty of
violating any one or more of the provisions of this Part. The
board shall, within thirty days after receiving the written
charges, hold a public hearing and investigation and determine
whether such charges are true and correct. If the board should
find upon its investigation of any employee that he has
violated any of the foregoing provisions, the board shall
order the appointing authority to forthwith discharge the
guilty employee from the service and the appointing authority
shall forthwith discharge the employee.
C. Whoever violates this Part shall be subject to the penalties
provided in R.S. 33:2567. In addition any employee in the
classified service who is discharged because of violating any
of the foregoing provisions shall not again be eligible for
employment or public office in the classified service for a
period of six years from the time of his discharge.
Added by Acts 1964, No. 282, § 1.
Date this page was last updated: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 10:29 AM