Louisiana's budget for next year doesn't include any money for the state's ongoing litigation against BP for damages caused by the 2010 oil spill.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana's budget for next year doesn't include any money for the state's ongoing litigation against BP for damages caused by the 2010 oil spill.
Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is asking lawmakers to add $15 million to the 2014-15 spending plans to continue the casework. Without it, Caldwell's office says it won't be able to pay outside attorneys and experts and its work on the BP case would "grind to a halt."
Laura Gerdes Colligan, a Caldwell spokeswoman, says legislative leaders and Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration have assured the attorney general that dollars will be added to the budget to fill the gap.
The governor's Division of Administration says it will work with lawmakers to make sure the case is properly funded and has identified available dollars to pay the costs.