Vitter: "Interior's action will cause loss of revenue to the state of Louisiana inconsistent with federal law. Louisiana should not be the victim of unilateral agency action."
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has filed suit against the U.S. Department of Interior on behalf of the state. At issue is the feds' redrawing of boundaries in the Gulf of Mexico that determine states' share of royalties from offshore drilling. Under the DOI redrawing, Louisiana will be required to share a portion of royalties generated over the last quarter century with neighboring Mississippi and Texas - funds dedicated in the state constitution to public education and coastal restoration.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., expressed support for Caldwell's action in a letter released Wednesday: "Interior's action will cause loss of revenue to the state of Louisiana inconsistent with federal law. Louisiana should not be the victim of unilateral agency action," Vitter writes. "I support the state's decision and share their concerns that Interior's new line would eliminate significant revenue for Louisiana in this case funds for critical education programs."