BATON ROUGE – Forty thousand dollars in state spending that made it through the legislative budgeting process did not survive Gov. Bobby Jindal's veto pen Tuesday.

    Among the cuts are $25,000 for the St. Martin Parish Council on Aging, which is about to have a new building erected in Breaux Bridge; $10,000 for the Breaux Bridge Youth Enrichment Program, a summer keep-busy effort for kids; and $5,000 in "additional Family Violence Program Assistance in St. Martin Parish.

    In each case the monies are what local officials might privately call lagniappe and their loss does not endanger the respective program or project.

    Saying he was taking steps "to make sure that government lives within its means," Jindal vetoed nearly $19 million in funding from a list of items proposed by state legislators, including some that are commonly referred to as "pet projects," the Associated Press reported. The items were in House Bill 881, the Supplemental Appropriations Bill.

    Here is the text of a news release from the governor regarding the cuts:

    Dear Gentlemen:

    As authorized by Article III, Section 18(B), and more particularly, Article IV, Section 5(G)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana, I have exercised the authority of my office to veto fifty-three (53) items or provisions of the Supplemental Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2008-2009. I respectfully request that you deliver on my behalf the following message to the members of the Legislature:



    Just as families and businesses do in response to challenging financial times, we took steps to make sure that government lives within its means, passing a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year that tightens the belt of state government while also protecting critical services.



    Prior to House concurrence with the Senate-passed House Bill No. 1, we informed House leaders that we would veto everything in the bill contingent upon funding from the Insure Louisiana Incentive Program Fund, from the Budget Stabilization fund, and from delaying planned tax relief. The House did not approve the latter, and because the funding tied to all three sources was interdependent and could not be separated, it was vetoed.



    Then, working closely with the Legislature, we took steps through House Bill No. 881 to mitigate reductions to higher education and healthcare and to give us an opportunity to prepare for continuing budget challenges in the years ahead.



    Appropriations bills passed by the legislature and signed into law, including House Bill No. 881, restore a total of $118.1 million in state funds to higher education, bringing higher education’s total reduction in state funding to 6.78 percent, not including tuition increases. Factoring in tuition increases, the reduction is 4.63 percent; when including total funding for higher education, the reduction falls to only 2 percent. Also including restricted funding, the reduction to higher education in this budget totals 1.29 percent.



    The final FY 10 budget for the Department of Health and Hospitals, including restorations made in House Bill No. 881, totals more than $7.93 billion, not including a one-time special Medicaid payment of $212.8 million authorized by House Bill No. 879 to hospitals for uncompensated care and hurricane related losses. Overall, including the restorations to health care, the FY 10 budget represents a 2.94 percent decrease from the previous fiscal year.



    After restorations made in House Bill No. 881, the final appropriation for the Medicaid private provider program for FY 10 is $4.2 billion. This is a $179 million or 4 percent decrease from the previous year. Again, this does not include the special one-time payment of $212.8 million to hospitals. When these one-time hospital payments are included, the net Medicaid private provider program expenditures will increase by 0.75 percent.

    Here is a list of the cuts:



1) FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAM ASSISTANCE IN IBERIA PARISH: $5,000

2) ADDITIONAL FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAM ASSISTANCE IN ST. MARTIN PARISH: $5,000

3) IBERIA PARISH GOVERNMENT VOLUNTARY COUNCIL ON AGING OF IBERIA PARISH: $25,000

4) ST. MARTIN COUNCIL ON AGING: $25,000

5) JUVENILE MENTAL HEALTH COURT, CADDO PARISH: $40,000

6) CADDO PARISH JUVENILE COURT FOR JUVENILE MENTAL HEALTH COURT: $40,000

7) JUVENILE YOUTH PLANNING BOARD, 16TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT: $50,000

8) BREAUX BRIDGE YOUTH ENRICHMENT PROGRAM: $10,000

9) GORDON PLAZA SENIOR CITIZEN'S PROGRAM: $10,000

10) DISTRICT 2 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT CORPORATION: $20,000

11) LOUISIANA STATE RACING COMMISSION FOR A DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR INCLUDING SALARY AND RELATED BENEFITS: $91,600

12) GRANTS PROGRAM FOR DOORWAYS TO LOUISIANA: $4,230

13) N.O. "AFRIKAN" FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL: $60,000

14) LA FINANCIAL LITERACY AND EDUCTION COMMISSION: $25,000

15) UTILITY AND CARRIER INSPECTION TO RESTORE 9 AUTHORIZED POSITIONS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES: $884,438

16) CALCASIEU PARISH POLICY JURY FOR THE STARKS MAYHAW FESTIVAL: $7,755

17) LOUISIANA IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES ENTERPRISE AT ULL: $300,000

18) DISTRICT 2 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT CORPORATION: $150,000

19) LOUIS SATCHMO ARMSTRONG FESTIVAL: $50,000

20) MUSEUM PROGRAMS FOR LOUISIANA ARTS AND SCIENCE MUSEUM: $100,000

21) MUSEUM PROGRAM FOR LOUISIANA ARTS AND MUSEUM: $50,000

22) CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR NORTHERN REGION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: $100,000

23) NEW ORLEANS ADOLESCENT HOSPITAL: $14,241,399

24) SHRIMP TRADE PETITION ACCOUNT/LA SHRIMP ASSOCIATION - PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES ASSOCIATED WITH ANTI-DUMPING PETITION FILED IN DEC 2003: $175,000

25) PRINTING/DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS PROMOTING LA'S CHARTER BOAT INDUSTRY AND FOR THE GENERAL PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF LOUISIANA'S FISHERIES: $30,000

26) LA PREP ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE AND EARLY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT LSU-SHREVEPORT: $250,000

27) SATURDAY ACADEMY FOR REGIONAL TUTORIAL AND EDUCATIONAL/LEADERSHIP TRAINING: $100,000

28) SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR JOY CORPORATION OF BATON ROUGE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING PROGRAM: $25,000

29) DISTRICT 2 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT CORPORATION: $120,000

30) GIRL SCOUTS OF LOUISIANA (EAST): $100,000

31) ST. CHARLES PARISH FOR LAND PURCHASE FOR A BOAT LAUNCH ON HIGHWAY 90 IN LULING: $300,000

32) HINTON CAUSEY VFW POST 7194 FOR REPAIRS: $60,000

33) ST. BERNARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION: $120,000

34) ALGIERS DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT FOR BLIGHT REMEDIATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS: $200,000

35) BEAUREGARD POLICY JURY DISTRICT 4-A FOR A SIGN AND PROJECTOR SCREEN FOR THE SUMMER MOVIE PROGRAM FOR BEAUREGARD PARISH LIBRARY CHILDREN'S PROGRAM: $12,000

36) UNITY OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS, INC.: $50,000

37) BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA: $100,000

38) N.O. POLICE AND JUSTICE FOUNDATION: $25,000

39) TERREBONNE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT FOR REPAIRS FROM STORM DAMAGE TO GIBSON DEVON KELLER COMMUNITY CENTER: $10,000

40) TERREBONNE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT FOR REPAIRS FROM STORM DAMAGE TO SCHRIVER SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER: $10,000

41) SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA: $100,000

42) ALGIERS DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT: $300,000

43) WOODLAND TRAILS AND PARK, INC: $150,000

44) N.O. POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE DISTRICT 2 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT CORPORATION: $10,000

45) GREATER N.O. SPORTS FOUNDATION: $50,000

46) NORTHEAST LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: $13,290

47) FRIENDS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S ENGINES: $9,000

48) JUSTICE FOUNDATION: $6,000

49) CITY OF MONROE FOR BLACK BAYOU: $5,000

50) GIRL SCOUTS OF LOUISIANA PINES TO THE GULF: $35,000

51) LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF UNITED WAYS: $100,000

52) GATHERING OF SISTERS, LLC: $10,000