BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The leaders of Louisiana's medical schools urged senators to stall a budget proposal for next year, until lawmakers consider whether to pass taxes to fill a shortfall looming in July.

G.E. Ghali and Larry Hollier, chancellors of the LSU Health Sciences Centers in Shreveport and New Orleans, said the deep cuts proposed in the House budget version would devastate graduate medical education. The full House debates the proposal Thursday.

The chancellors hope lawmakers hold a special session to consider taxes to replace some taxes that expire on July 1, to close the $648 million budget gap. They told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday if lawmakers pass the budget with the cuts, even if they plan to later add dollars, it would send a signal the reductions might actually happen.