Tagged: Gov. Bobby Jindal

The Louisiana Republican Party has spent nearly $100,000 over the last two months to combat recall petitions aimed at Gov. Bobby Jindal, House Speaker Chuck Kleckley and other lawmakers.

By comparison, the teachers leading the Jindal and Kleckley recall efforts report spending about $2,100.

That's according to campaign finance reports reviewed by The Advocate (http://bit.ly/NztEFQ).

Gov. Bobby Jindal traveled to Ohio to campaign for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, as speculation continues that the Louisiana governor is a possible vice presidential pick.

Jindal's office said the governor headed Tuesday to Columbus for the presidential campaign event and to attend a fundraiser for Republican state treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel.

Jindal was scheduled to return to Baton Rouge the same day as the events.

Even with $523 million in announced health care cuts, Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has slashed only two-thirds of the spending needed to close the entire gap in Louisiana's Medicaid budget.

The administration is banking on better-than-expected revenue projections to close the remaining budget hole.

If that doesn't pan out in the next few months, more reductions are on the horizon. And even if the funding does show up, there could be legal hurdles to accessing the cash to fill the Medicaid budget.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget office won't provide most of its records tied to the state's alternative fuel vehicle tax credit program and a controversial ruling about qualifying vehicles that was rescinded by the governor.

A lawyer for the Division of Administration said records requested by The Associated Press are shielded by a public records exemption. Only one e-mail was provided. Other records were kept hidden, citing an exemption given to the governor for items involving his "deliberative process."