Jindal reissues his rules for legislative earmarks

Gov. Bobby Jindal has reissued his annual restrictions and reporting requirements for non-government organizations that may receive state cash through legislative earmarks in the budget. Jindal said in a letter today to legislative leaders that he will veto any funding for so-called NGOs if they don’t meet four criteria. He says they must have a statewide or regional impact, have been openly discussed during the legislative session, be a state agency priority and have filed disclosure forms published online. The governor has required those standards in the past three years of his administration, though lawmakers have accused him of using the requirements subjectively to retaliate against those who oppose his legislative agenda. It’s unclear if lawmakers will add the traditional millions in earmarks this year, given the state’s budget shortfall.