Jindal slashes funding for state treasurer

Gov. Bobby Jindal used his veto pen Friday to strike funding for two political critics.

Jindal’s action came on House Bill 1, the roughly $25.6 billion state operating budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

HB1 encountered a bumpy road to the governor’s desk.

State Treasurer John Kennedy criticized Jindal for a patchwork approach to the budget that included the use of one-time, or nonrecurring, dollars for expenses that must be met year after year.

Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne complained about not getting enough money for tourism advertising.

On Friday, Jindal stripped funding from both men’s offices.

The governor said in his veto message that taking $511,279 from Kennedy’s office would “streamline” his department. Many of the ideas that Kennedy pitched for replacing the one-time money in the budget were recycled suggestions he made while serving on the Commission for Streamlining Government.

In vetoing $2 million in marketing funding for Dardenne’s agency, Jindal said the expenditure exceeded available revenue.

The governor’s spokesman, Kyle Plotkin, said Jindal was unavailable to discuss his action on the budget. “Everything is in the veto message,” Plotkin said.