Louisiana Audit: $3.2 Billion in State Funds Went to Nongovernmental Groups Over Four Years Amid Disclosure Gaps
A review released in October by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found that the state paid about $3.2 billion to nongovernmental entities over the four fiscal years from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025, while gaps in disclosure rules make the money hard to track.
As reported by the Louisiana Illuminator on October 20, annual payments climbed from about $723.7 million in fiscal 2021-22 to $942 million in 2024-25, spanning the administrations of Governors John Bel Edwards and Jeff Landry. Education accounted for the largest share, about $1.9 billion, mostly for charter schools and nonpublic school programs; the Department of Health spent about $266.3 million over the same period. Other recipients included drinking-water improvement projects, legal aid, domestic-violence shelters and sporting-event promotion.
The auditors said the review began before the state's new disclosure law passed and was compiled independently from agency submissions and LaGov accounting data; key statutory terms remain undefined, leaving the new spending database incomplete. The report is an inventory of payments, not a finding that funds were misused. The auditors recommended that the Legislature clarify disclosure standards to improve transparency. (GSM, from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's report and the Louisiana Illuminator, October 20)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Baton Rouge 的路易斯安那州议会大厦实景；Wikimedia Commons，CC0，作者 Chrismiceli
