AG Landry Says Edwards' Office Stalling His Budget Request

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Landry says two of his budget requests to lawmakers are being bottled up by Gov. John Bel Edwards administration.

One request, Landry says, would provide $850,000 needed to defend state abortion restrictions against a lawsuit.

Landry sent a letter to members of the Legislature's joint budget committee complaining Edwards' Division of Administration has stalled budget adjustments he wanted lawmakers to consider Friday. In his letter, Landry suggested the delay was politically motivated.

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says politics had nothing to do with either rejection. On the abortion lawsuit funding, Dardenne says Landry sought to take money from the state health department, which Dardenne says would cut services.

State agencies must seek approval from the Division of Administration and lawmakers to shift dollars among programs midyear.