BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Latest on the Louisiana House’s budget debate (all times local):
3:30 p.m.
The Louisiana House has narrowly approved a $27 billion state operating budget for next year that could shutter health care services and would leave the popular TOPS college tuition program short of full financing.
Lawmakers voted 55-47 for the spending plan for the financial year that begins July 1. Nearly all Democrats opposed the proposal.
Thursday’s vote was a win for House Republican leaders who pushed for passage of a budget rather than wait to craft something in a special session as Gov. John Bel Edwards prefers.
Louisiana has a $648 million budget gap next year. Edwards wants lawmakers to replace some expiring temporary taxes in a special session.
Republicans who supported the budget say gaps could be filled later in the special session.
The debate shifts to the Senate.
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2:20 p.m.
Lawmakers in the Louisiana House have reshuffled dollars away from the popular TOPS college tuition program to lessen cuts elsewhere in next year’s budget.
The changes backed in a 62-42 vote Thursday took $58 million earmarked for TOPS and moved $26 million of it to avoid other cuts to college campuses.
The remaining $32 million was shifted to Louisiana’s safety-net hospitals.
TOPS would cover about 80 percent of tuition costs.
House Republican leader Lance Harris says the changes spread available dollars “more reasonably.”
Critics said the reshuffling breaks a promise to students that their college tuition would be paid if they reached certain benchmarks. Others said it’s too little financing for the safety-net hospitals and their clinics to keep most of them open.
House lawmakers continue their budget debate.
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11:20 a.m.
Louisiana House lawmakers are debating a $27 billion state operating budget for next year that would deeply reduce spending on health services.
House Republican leaders sought to rally support Thursday to reach the 53-vote threshold to send the spending plan to the Senate. They’ll likely get little assistance from Democrats who object to passing a budget with an estimated $1.8 billion in cuts.
While the House has 61 Republicans, GOP leaders faced resistance from some of their own members who say the slashing is too deep.
The bill would shield the TOPS college tuition program from cuts, but college campuses would take reductions.
Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards opposes the proposal.
Louisiana’s budget gap is caused by expiring taxes. Edwards wants lawmakers to pass replacement taxes in a special session.
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