Story by Elizabeth Crisp, The Advocate
As the Louisiana Legislature grapples with a $900 million funding shortfall in the current budget and $2 billion in the budget that lies ahead beginning July 1, lawmakers are seeing an opportunity to tap into some of the funding that has been set aside for pet projects over the years.
Statutory dedications include money for marketing and tourism efforts, improvements to state parks, agriculture research in specialized areas and wildlife conservation efforts, among other special interests.