It’s like a Bad Santa movie for the four fastest growing communities in north Louisiana.
House Bill 2 is the capital outlay bill that was amended and enacted at virtually the last few minutes of the regular 2023 legislative session.
When the smoke cleared, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton and Blanchard discovered that the Bad Santa only left them lumps of coal.
For all practical purposes no state moneys were appropriated for long awaited and needed projects for these municipalities.
Bossier lost out on $10 million for expansion of a Benton Road/I-220 lane widening.
Benton lost $1.2 million in requested funding.
Haughton missed out on $6 million for two long-awaited projects.
Blanchard drew a goose egg in state funding.
North Louisiana traditionally receives the short end of the state funding stick each year by the Legislature. However, this year marks a new low that was almost incomprehensible until the final days of the Legislature.
How this all shakes out in the upcoming state senate and representative races is an unknown at this date. However, it is certain that this funding fiasco it will be an overriding factor in the senate and house districts that include Bossier City, Benton, Haughton and Blanchard.