Louisiana House debates $25B budget for next year

Louisiana House members disagreed today over whether they should use nearly $270 million in one-time money to piece together next year’s budget or instead make more deep cuts to public colleges and health care programs. The $25 billion spending plans under discussion would pay for agency operating expenses and programs in the new fiscal year that begins July 1. At issue is how much one-time cash legislators want to patch into the budget to pay for continuing services. Conservative Republicans say the dollars create false expectations in state agencies, paying for services that the state won’t be able to afford year after year. Other lawmakers and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration say stripping the money would force harmful cuts to critical services. On the chopping block and most vulnerable to further reductions are health care services and public college programs. Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, a Jindal ally who handles the budget bills, is urging the House to keep the one-time cash in the spending plans, saying it’s the right thing to do for the citizens of the state. He disagrees with suggestions it is fiscally irresponsible to use the money, and says when the economy begins to improve, state income tax revenue will pick up. He equated the use of one-time money to tapping into a savings account to continue paying for household bills when a family’s income drops. Read the full story by The Associated Press here.