Lawmakers slip in pet projects
Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 9, 2009
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Even with health care services and public colleges on the chopping block, Louisiana lawmakers are pushing to spend state taxpayer dollars on boat launches, local museums, the Girls Scouts and Boys Scouts and other non-state entities.
More than $11 million was added to next year’s budget by the House Appropriations Committee for a host of legislators’ favored local projects, according to a tally of the add-ons by The Associated Press. Senators are expected to add more when they work on the budget.
The Princess Theater in Winnsboro would get $15,000. A boat launch in Madisonville is in line for $22,000. The Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association in New Orleans would get $10,000. The Southeast Louisiana Council Boy Scouts of America would receive $100,000. The Algiers Economic Development Foundation, in the area where House Speaker Jim Tucker lives, would get $250,000, and the Algiers Economic Development District is up for $300,000.
Meanwhile, millions of dollars in cuts are slated for the state’s Medicaid program for the poor and disabled, universities and technical schools, and state-run social service programs.