Lawmakers now will have approval authority over consulting contracts signed across state agencies, in response to complaints about wasteful spending.
A year after vetoing the proposal, Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the bill by Rep. Jerome “Dee” Richard, an independent from Thibodaux.
The Associated Press reports most consulting and professional services contracts with a state price tag topping $40,000 annually will be subject to review from the Legislature’s joint budget committee for the next three years. If the committee rejects or reworks a contract, savings will go to a higher education fund.
Richard and Treasurer John Kennedy pushed the legislation for five years. Richard says he finally got Jindal’s signature in a trade. Richard supported the creation of a tax credit, only on paper, that Jindal wanted for a state budget deal.
