Louisiana lawmakers send Edwards a budget he doesn't want
BATON ROUGE (AP) - A divided Louisiana House sent the governor a $28 billion operating budget that contains steep cuts to education, public safety and social services programs. The document establishes the gaps lawmakers will debate filling in a special session on taxes that begins next week.
Gov. John Bel Edwards didn't want the spending plan to reach his desk, but House lawmakers gave it final passage Thursday with a 61-37 vote.
The House backed the Senate budget version, which keeps nursing home residents from eviction and safety-net hospitals operating.
To account for expiring taxes, lawmakers slash spending deeply across many other agencies. The TOPS program would only cover 70 percent of tuition.
Edwards hasn't said whether he'll veto the budget. He wants lawmakers to pass $648 million in taxes to stop the cuts.