NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is doubling down on his stance on the state’s abortion ban.
Landry is asking the State Bond Commission to delay $39 million in funding for the Sewerage and Waterboard after city leaders said they would not enforce the state’s abortion ban.
Members of the New Orleans City Council strongly oppose Landry’s decision.
“My worry is that this becomes a zero-sum game more than anything else and that residents are stuck right in the middle of it. I mean, this is not a tit-for-tat, back and forth, that’s not what we’re in the business of,” said New Orleans City Councilman Joe Giarrusso.
The $39 million would go toward building a power plant for the city’s drainage pumps.
In a statement, Landry said in part:
“The same folks who have turned the Crescent City into America’s murder capital by refusing to prosecute violent crime must now choose whether they prioritize playing partisan politics over granting basic amenities for their constituents,”
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry
City leaders are pushing back, saying the power station is critical for the safety of residents, especially during hurricane season.
“Our citizens are not as safe as they need to be in our district and we don’t want to see flooding happen years from now because we didn’t move in a correct manner here,” said New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green.
Residents responding to Landry, many saying they disagree with his decision.
“I think that’s awful, I think that something that’s completely unrelated making all of New Orleans like the residents suffer because of that is absurd,” said Areesh Chaudhry, a New Orleans resident.
“I think it’s disgusting. I think you need to sit down and rethink your decision, sir, because it affects a lot of people a lot more than you know,” said Yazmine, a New Orleans resident.
Despite the funding delay, the Sewerage and Waterboard power station could still get built. Construction isn’t expected to begin until sometime next year, so there’s plenty of time to reach an agreement.