Jindal To Sign Legislation Killing Oil And Gas Suit

Gov. Bobby Jindal will likely sign a bill that nullifies a New Orleans-area levee board's lawsuit against 97 oil and gas companies, despite Attorney General Buddy Caldwell advising the governor to veto it.

Jindal delayed signing the bill earlier this week to wait for Caldwell's opinion, but the governor is not heeding the attorney general's advice to dismiss the legislation.

The concern with Senate Bill 469 is whether it will impact claims filed against BP for the 2010 gulf oil disaster. Benton Sen. Robert Adley says he also disagrees with Caldwell's opinion.

"There's no basis whatsoever for his position," Adley said. "We've been in Baton Rouge for three months discussing these bills, and he never said a word."

Adley, who is a co-sponsor of the bill that seeks to kill the levee board lawsuit, accuses Caldwell of playing political games. Adley says he doesn't see how a state law can impact claims against a company for an oil spill that originated in federal waters.

But about two dozen legal experts have drawn a similar conclusion as Caldwell, which is concern than S.B. 469 could jeopardize claims against BP made by state and local governmental bodies.

Amite Rep. John Bel Edwards (also a gubernatorial candidate) says Jindal is risking millions of dollars by authorizing the bill.

Edwards says BP's lawyers will use this legislation to claim the corporation doesn't owe the types of damages that state and local governments claim.