BATON ROUGE (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal is running a new TV ad statewide that attacks a federal lawsuit challenging his voucher program.

In the ad, paid with campaign funds, Jindal says the federal government is out of control. He says “know-it-alls in Washington think they know better than Louisiana parents.”

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to bar Louisiana from awarding future school vouchers to students who otherwise would attend public schools under federal desegregation orders — until getting approval from a federal court.

The Justice Department says vouchers can impede desegregation efforts. Jindal calls the lawsuit an attempt to force children back into failing schools to appease public school teacher unions.

Jindal political adviser Timmy Teepell says $500,000 was spent to air the ad, beginning Monday, for several weeks.