It’s no secret that restraining the cost of government has been a consistent theme for Gov. Jeff Landry. That’s not changing, even though state projections show lawmakers have resolved the long-dreaded “fiscal cliff.” But that doesn’t mean conservatives should expect to see deep spending cuts in the executive budget that the administration will present next month. “We’ve never used the word ‘cuts,’” says Brent Littlefield, a political adviser and spokesperson for the governor. Instead, they’ve talked about finding “efficiencies,” which could lead to overall savings but could also allow the dollars saved to be put to better use. And even when a department tries to keep the budget “flat,” costs might still rise due to inflation, Littlefield adds. The governor is asking departments for a “standstill” budget that would spend the same amount of money that they were appropriated for the prior budget year, says Will Frentz, special assistant to Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras. While he couldn’t provide much detail, Frentz said the departments have met with the commissioner’s office and laid out how much money they believe they need and why, but they will have another chance to make their pitch over the next couple of weeks. “Now they’re basically just strengthening their cases and saying, ‘Well, we really need this here and that there,’” he says. “Nothing’s been finalized with the executive budget.” Last year, Landry requested a $3.3 billion spending reduction. By the end of the budget process, spending was reduced by about $2 billion, though that largely reflects a reduction in federal funding. If you’re looking for a radical reimagining of how state government spends our tax dollars, you might have to wait until next year. Landry, along with Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, has launched a fiscal responsibility program, led by fiscal responsibility czar Steve Orlando, chair of Allison Marine Holdings. We asked through the governor’s press office to speak with Orlando, but were unable to do so. The group’s report is due at the end of this calendar year. Some states are using artificial intelligence in hopes of improving efficiency, decision-making and the delivery of government services. Asked if Louisiana might consider doing the same, Littlefield said the administration is open to using any tool that has been successful elsewhere. DeVillier tapped House Appropriations Chair Jack McFarland for one of his appointments to the program. McFarland says the group has not held a formal meeting yet, though there may be an informal get-together at Washington Mardi Gras this week. He said one of his initial suggestions was to take a hard look at state contracts, which he feels state officials could do a better job of negotiating. He also says lawmakers should consider privatizing some public functions. But in the short term, even if the administration presents a standstill budget next month, McFarland plans to look for cuts regardless. He says the job of the appropriations committee is to reduce the size of government. “Now, does that mean that every year we’ll be able to do that? I don’t know. But I think that that’s something consistently we should be looking for.”