Lawsuit Challenging the Way State Lawmakers Balanced Last Year's Budget

Posted: Oct 4, 2010 11:24 AM

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A lawsuit is challenging the way state
lawmakers balanced last year's budget with $198 million from
Louisiana's "rainy day" fund.
The lawsuit was filed Monday. It claims legislators violated the
state constitution by not repaying the money that was taken from
the fund.
If the money is required to be repaid, it would create a $198
million state deficit that would have to be closed by June 30.
The lawsuit was filed by Ron Gomez and Bob Reid, who list
themselves as residents and taxpayers. Gomez is a former state
legislator.
Lawmakers have argued a more recent statutory change doesn't
require the money to be repaid for years, but Gomez and Reid say a
statute can't trump the constitution.

Topics: Lawsuit, Challenging, the, Way, State, Lawmakers, Balanced, Last, Year's, Budget