Shreveport Senator Says Governor Landry Has Been a ‘Huge Disappointment’
Things have gotten personal between the governor of Louisiana and some republican lawmakers. Governor Jeff Landry has used his veto pen to cut projects from the budget for several Shreveport area lawmakers.
Senator Alan Seabaugh was hit the hardest. He lost 4 projects to the governor's veto pen. Seabaugh says the Governor has now made this person and that's not the way government should work.
The governor says the funding for some of the projects was removed because the construction budget was over-funded. But the Republican legislators who lost funding for their district also voted against an insurance reform bill supported by the governor.
Seabaugh says he had a lot of hope when Landry was sworn in, but he’s no longer a fan. He says Landry has been a "huge disappointment." And he was one of the lawmakers who pushed Landry and brought him around north Louisiana to meet all the movers and shakers to get support for him early on. But Seabaugh says things went really bad when Landry pushed the new district lines which helped put Cleo Fields in Congress.
What Local Projects Have Been Veto'd?
$4 million dollar entrance from Barksdale Boulevard to Parkway High School. Right now there is only one way in and one way out of the school and Seabaugh says it can be dangerous.
The Governor also veto'd money for parks in Hall Summit, Coushatta and Martin, all in Seabaugh's district.
The Governor also veto'd money from Senator Adam Bass' district:
$685 thousand for a sewer project in Minden, $545,000 to upgrade Kingston Park in Benton and $25,000 to study improvements to a bridge on Highway 537 in Plain Dealing.
State Rep Michael Melerine also felt the wrath of the Governor. Landry cut out $50,000 for improvements to the playground and bathroom facility at the duck pond in Shreveport.
Even Democrat Senator Sam Jenkins was hit by the Governor. Jenkins tells KEEL News he lost money for 2 NGO's: $100,000 for Compassion for Lives and $25,000 for Community Caregivers.