BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - 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.