Louisiana’s legislative leaders resisted a $63 million debt forgiveness plan for the Superdome’s oversight board that Gov. Edwards’ administration framed as a key piece of striking a new deal with the New Orleans Saints.
The Bond Commission discussion of that proposal and other ideas for steering state money to Superdome renovations brought no resolution.
It remains unclear whether state lawmakers will pay for Edwards’ commitment that Louisiana will cover $90 million of the $450 million in stadium improvements.
Treasurer John Schroder called it decision time when asked about whether the Legislature would agree to finance some of the renovations that remained unresolved after more than two years since the Democratic governor made the deal public. He said the Superdome managers need to be able to plan and the state needs to give them answers.
So far, the state has committed about $3 million to the Superdome upgrades, with another $25 million authorized, but not guaranteed, through the state’s construction budget.
A contract for the next phases of the construction work cannot be signed without some certainty on a revenue stream says Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, the governor’s chief budget adviser.
