Welcome to The Ledger.  As the name of this web log suggests, The Ledger is an online chronicle in which fiscal news and information are posted.  At a time when Louisiana state government faces significant fiscal challenges, The Ledger offers citizens highlights and insights on up-to-date news regarding state budgetary matters, as well as providing additional facts, figures, context, and clarity concerning important fiscal-related policies and reforms for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of state government.  

In another first for Louisiana state government’s online transparency and accountability portal, LaTrac has now added a downloadable data feature.

In addition to other unique features of LaTrac (the inclusion of Higher Education expenditure information and a link to performance measures) the expenditure data behind the site is now available for download.  This feature will allow individuals, organizations, and academic researchers to combine the expenditure data with other sources to conduct more sophisticated analysis and examination of spending patterns.

The feature can be accessed by visiting www.latrac.la.gov and selecting “download data” within the “Statewide,” “Higher Education,” and “DOTD” information boxes, or accessed directly by clicking here.

Due to the size of the datasets (over 60,000 records in some cases) people will have to use Excel 2007 to view the data.  Older versions cannot accommodate the size of the files.

The downloadable data feature follows other upgrades to LaTrac announced in March that included a vendor search tool and online grants database.  Stay tuned for other LaTrac improvements and upgrades in the coming months.

A story out today by the AP begins: “Legislators in more than a half-dozen states, their revenues evaporating in the recession, are frantically working to stave off government shutdowns and devastating service cuts.”

The story notes that the “end of June marked the end of the fiscal year in many states,” and goes on to chronicle the difficulties of enacting a new fiscal year budget in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut and Mississippi.

Read the whole story here.

This story today in The Times-Picayune tracks a new phase of budget discussions since the main budget bill was passed by the Legislature and sent to the Governor.  Excerpts:

Gov. Bobby Jindal said Monday that he plans to strike about $278 million in proposed spending from the state budget bill, but that he will work with lawmakers to make sure some money is restored for higher education through other legislation still pending….

“We don't want to play games with the Legislature. We want to be very clear about what we’re doing,” Jindal said at a meeting with reporters to discuss his priorities for the week….

The budget bill was sent to Jindal’s desk last week with $278 million in “contingencies,” or spending tied to the passage of other bills. The contingencies include $118 million for higher education that would come from postponing an income-tax break scheduled to take effect this year, as well as $70 million from an expired insurance fund and $86 million from the state’s rainy-day fund.

With those contingency items facing a veto, the focus now shifts to the Senate, where several spending bills could be reworked to add back some of the money.

Meanwhile, a story by the AP explores the “unclear fate” of funding for legislative “member amendments” in the budget.

Governor Jindal’s remarks following a meeting with former Governors on the importance of higher education 

The Times-Picayune reports that passage of the budget bill by the House “isn’t final word on spending” 

Commissioner Davis writes in The News Star about state government cost-saving efforts 

If you’re visiting The Ledger for the first time, odds are it’s because you’ve just read a story about it like this one.

Upon request from media, I have issued the following statement:

When we announced “The Ledger” we said that this would be a “blog” format to provide a “frank and clarifying mode of communicating.”  In fact, many state and federal officials have taken to this format, through the development of internet technology to support their governmental efforts.  The internet is indeed a new format, and we are trying something new, something that makes state government fiscal issues more accessible and understandable to the people, and something that is also entirely appropriate.

The Ledger is not political and has not included any request that anyone vote one way or another on any issue.  What it does do is highlight the administration’s position and efforts on fiscal issues, provide factual information about the budget, and mostly pose questions for readers to consider.  I think the suggestion that The Ledger has attacked anyone is unfortunate and don’t believe is supported by a fair reading of the content.

Thanks for visiting The Ledger.  Please take time to look around the website, and please come back again.