State Museums Facing More Budget Cuts

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State government's money problems are translating into fewer hours to tell the story of the pirates, idealists, rock legends and political powerhouses who once called Louisiana home.

The Advocate reports that cutbacks to some of the state's museums began in January with slashed hours and terminated student workers.

Now another round of reductions is threatened because of the $1.6 billion shortfall facing the state in the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Officials are worried about the impact on communities and culture while visitors are concerned about the decreased access to buildings that tell Louisiana's history.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler says he is faced with either further reducing hours or charging admission at the currently free museums.

(Information in this story is from: The Advocate, http://www.2theadvocate.com)