No statewide election funds budgeted

Secretary of State Jay Dardenne is discouraging lawmakers from enacting any proposed constitutional amendments during the 2009 regular legislative session. This is because, he says, there is no money for a statewide election this year.

No regular statewide election is scheduled for this fall. So, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 does not include the nearly $6 million in state funds needed to conduct one.

“If we are required to have one, we don’t have that budgeted,” said Dardenne on Thursday. “That would cause some very serious (budget) problems for us.”

Dardenne also advised the House Appropriations Committee that the state elections agency will be operating on $21.8 million in federal stimulus money that will go away in two years.