The wave of layoffs that has swept over Indiana's state workforce is leaving more than fifty employees jobless, following the governor's recent budget cuts. Governor Mike Braun's administration has pushed through a series of reductions that have hit various departments across the board. According to WISH-TV, the budget ax fell particularly hard on the Indiana State Museum and agencies under the education and commerce verticals. These cuts come after the state's new spending plan, enacted last month, reduced agency funding significantly to meet fiscal stability aims.
At the Indiana Department of Education, 39 employees received layoff notices, while an additional 43 positions will remain unfilled. This, a combined measure to save around $6.9 million in salary and benefits, the department spokesperson Courtney Bearsch confirmed to Axios. The strategy chosen minimizes the number of current staff impacted by relying more on leaving vacancies and leveraging other funding options.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) wasn't spared, slashing eight positions as part of a 12-person workforce reduction across the commerce vertical, Erin Sweitzer, spokesperson for the IEDC, detailed in an interview with WRTV. Similarly, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation and the Governor's Workforce Cabinet faced layoffs. Collectively, these changes are designed to save the state $7.4 million annually.
Notified workers and the community are confronting the reality of these widespread staff reductions. The historical appreciation sector took a heavy hit as the Indiana Historical Bureau, tasked with managing the State Historical Marker Program, saw their team reduced to a single staff member. "It was so quick," one former employee recounted to Axios. This reduction could significantly slow the rate at which new historical markers will be added across the state.
In the efforts to align with Governor Braun's strategic priorities, Erin Sweitzer told WRTV, that the changes support key objectives, including "upskilling Indiana’s workforce, supporting existing businesses, launching the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship focused on Main Street Indiana, and advancing a regional economic development model." While the administration views these layoffs and unfilled positions as a move towards financial prudence and a more strategically focused government, affected employees and the communities they serve are bound to experience these cuts in more personal and immediate ways.
