BATON ROUGE (AP) - A $30 billion state operating budget crafted by House Republican leaders would spend more on public school pay raises than Gov. John Bel Edwards wants, but less on other expenses for school districts.

  

The House Appropriations Committee advanced the proposal Monday without objection.

  

The budget bill for the financial year that begins July 1 would give teachers a $1,200 pay raise and support workers $600, rather than the $1,000 and $500 raises suggested by the Democratic governor.

  

But the committee refused to include a $39 million block grant increase pushed by Edwards for school districts to spend as they'd like.

  

House lawmakers used dollars from improved revenue forecasts to also add money for senior centers and health providers and fill gaps in the TOPS tuition program and early childhood education.