Lawyer defending voucher program to get up to $50K

The attorney general's office will pay up to $50,000 to Gov. Bobby Jindal's former executive counsel to defend the governor's signature education revamp in court.

Amanda Larkins, spokeswoman for Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, said Tuesday that the contract with lawyer Jimmy Faircloth hasn't been completed. But she described its terms, saying Faircloth is being paid $195 an hour, with a cap of $50,000.

Larkins said the contract runs through the current budget year, which will end June 30.

Instead of using in-house lawyers from the attorney general's office, Jindal sought out Faircloth.

Faircloth is defending the state, the Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in lawsuits filed by unions and school boards against Jindal's new statewide voucher program.