BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards has stripped 40 projects from Louisiana's $3.6 billion construction budget before signing it into law.
The governor's office announced the line-item vetoes Wednesday, describing removal of $39 million in local projects as a prioritization of Louisiana's limited construction dollars.
Most of the projects jettisoned by Edwards are located in parishes represented by Republicans who often vote at odds with the Democratic governor.
Vetoed projects include dollars for road work in Acadia, St. Landry, Iberia and Vermilion parishes. A $12 million road extension in Lafayette was stripped.
The Port of Iberia won't get road money. Jackson Parish won't get funds for a livestock pavilion. Drainage work in Iberia, Vermilion and Rapides parishes was jettisoned, along with a Bossier Parish street lighting project.
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House Bill 2: www.legis.la.gov
