Georgia shrine to former president Jimmy Carter on chopping block

PLAINS, Ga. (The Canadian Press) — On the outskirts of Jimmy Carter's ancestral home, far from the nearest interstate, sits a state shrine to Georgia's native president.

The Plains Visitor Information Center pays tribute to the peanut farmer-turned-president and it also stands as a reminder that even one of the most sacred names in Georgia politics can fall victim to a budget crisis.

Despite a campaign led by leaders of Carter's hometown - and the Democrats who represent his district - the centre is on the verge of losing its state funding. The latest budget proposal passed by the House on March 18 strips the centre of the US$186,000 it cost to run last year.