Louisiana allocates a fifth of its first $25 million from BP to legal apparatus
by Bill Barrow - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, who has asked state lawmakers for $27 million and authority to hire private attorneys on contingency to represent Louisiana's interests in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, will get $5 million of the first $25 million that BP has given the state for its response efforts, Gov. Bobby Jindal's office announced this week. Caldwell's office has not yet said how it is spending the money, though the state's top lawyer has for the last week been emphasizing the need to build a team of scientists, attorneys and other experts in what could be protracted government litigation against BP and other corporate entities. The governor, a Republican, said in a written statement: "It's important to note that this $25 million doesn't even scratch the surface of our state's total needs in responding to and recovering from this catastrophic oil spill. We are designating $5 million of this total to the Attorney General's Office to help support their expenses incurred as a result of the BP oil spill." Caldwell, a Democrat, added in the same written release: "Without this essential funding it would be virtually impossible to engage in the difficult task ahead of ensuring that BP lives up to its financial obligations and responsibilities to the state of Louisiana."