Watchdog Group Slams Taxpayer Funding of Saudi-Owned Golf Tour

For Immediate Release​​​​           ​​  

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224)-456-0257

WASHINGTON D.C. – On Sunday, the Louisiana State Senate Finance Committee inserted funding into the state’s operating budget for the LIV Golf League. The $7 million outlay would fund the Saudi-owned league’s tour in the state next year. Louisiana has long struggled with budgetary issues and faces a $200 million budget shortfall unless the House and Senate can agree on cutting wasteful spending.

In response to this latest budgetary development, David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), offered the following statement:  

“TPA has long stood against taxpayer funds going to billionaires for sports stadiums. But, this boondoggle is even worse than usual. Louisiana lawmakers are proposing that taxpayer funds goto an enterprise owned by a foreign government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has a sovereign wealth fund of more than $1 trillion. And, for laying out $7 million, taxpayers won’t even get a permanent stadium out of the ‘deal.’ The revenue estimates from supportive legislators need to be taken with a golf ball-sized grain of salt. This is a swing and a miss for Pelican State taxpayers.”

“TPA urges the Louisiana State Legislature to strip this provision from its budget. In a state that is struggling yet making strides towards prosperity and good governance, lawmakers should tee up a responsible spending bill that avoids crony and wasteful projects.”