Delegation warns bill could cut CATS funding

Officials with Capitol Region Legislative Delegation are coming out against a bill they say will cut more than $630,000 in state funds from CATS. The bill, by Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, would change the funding formula for public transportation and include local support in the definition of operating revenues. This would help cities such as New Orleans that provide large amounts of local funding, and hurt cities such as Baton Rouge that provide small amounts. The delegation says the bill is an “unabashed money grab for New Orleans” since the city would get more than $650,000 in additional state transportation dollars. While there’s been talk about changing the funding formula to reward city-parish governments that have “skin in the game” in terms of transportation funding, members of the delegation complain that the funding shift is too much to take in one year. CATS has an operating budget of about $16 million, so the cut in state funding would be significant. Badon’s bill passed out of committee Wednesday and is headed to the House floor for a vote early next week.—Timothy Boone