How Louisiana’s debt stacks up

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Louisiana is accused of ranking highly in all the wrong areas. Here’s another.

Today we learned from the State Bond Commission that the state’s per capita debt earns it 10th place in the nation, meaning it is higher than that of the 40 other states.

Fiscal 2007 shows the state’s per capita debt at $1,369, compared with the national median average of $700, said Whit Cling, the commission’s director, according to a story by The Associated Press.

While the debt load is within the state’s legal limits, it could restrict how much the state can borrow for new construction. That’s not good news for those in the construction business.