(The Center Square) — The Louisiana House approved a series of budget bills totaling $45.2 billion in spending to fund state agencies and programs for fiscal year 2023.
The bulk of the spending — $38.2 billion — is included in House Bill 1, sponsored by Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, which passed the House with a vote of 94-4.
Major components of the bill approved on Thursday include $148 million in additional funding for teacher pay raises of $1,500, and $750 raises for support staff "to bring them closer to the southern regional average," Zeringue said.
"It’s not where we want them to be. They deserve more, and we’ll continue to work to get us there," he said.
HB 1 also includes $104 million for higher education faculty pay raises, $34 million to increase salaries for workers who serve the state’s most vulnerable, $37 million to repair buildings and replace the state’s aging assets, $30 million toward cyber security, $25 million for a higher education initiatives fund, $10.5 million for the MJ Foster Promise Program, and $32 million toward early childhood initiatives.
The bill also spends $500 million in the state’s unemployment compensation fund to avoid a tax on businesses when the balance dips too low, as well as $450 million for water and sewer projects.
Another $25 million was allocated for healthcare workforce training programs, $10 million to reestablish an early childhood support and services program, and $5 million for a book delivery program for children.
Lawmakers allocated $33 million for Hurricane Ida relief, provided rate increases for applied behavioral analysis with Early Steps providers, and funded 250 slots in the Department of Health’s Community Choices Waiver Program, which provides in-home services for elderly and disabled adults.
The bill also spends $1.25 million on new scholarships to encourage students to become teachers, and includes language requiring the Joint Legislative Committee of the Budget to review and approve any proposals before the Secretary of State purchases voting machines.
The spending includes $100 million in reoccurring revenue spent on one-time expenses, including road work, disaster recovery and payment of a judgement against the state, something Zeringue said illustrates the state’s improved budget situation compared to recent years.
"From the fiscal year 21 budget to fiscal year 23's budget, we’ve gone from needing to use one-time money on recurring expenses to now using recurring revenues on one-time expenses," he said.
"If you look at the budget presented before you today, you’ll see a large (Revenue Estimating Conference) growth of over $1 billion compared to fiscal year 22," Zeringue said, adding that after replacing money in the current budget, the true general fund growth is roughly $300 million.
Other budget bills set aside $500 million for a "Revitalizing and Developing Infrastructure in all of Louisiana Fund" (RADIAL) — money Gov. John Bel Edwards wanted devoted exclusively to a new, $2.5 billion bridge across the Mississippi River — as well as $440 million toward a federal FEMA debt and $175 million toward the state’s rainy day fund.
The legislation also left out a $100 per month increase in supplemental pay for police and first responders requested by the governor.
In total, the budget bills spend $45.2 billion, with about $10.9 billion from taxpayers and nearly $20 billion from the federal government.
"The money instruments, especially House Bill 1, that you’re seeing come off the House floor reflects the vast majority of what I asked the Legislature to do, and that’s a good thing," Edwards said in a Thursday press conference.
Edwards said he was grateful to see lawmakers increase pay for teachers and support staff, and he remains hopeful to increase the teacher raises further to $2,000 after the Revenue Estimating Conference meets on May 9, when it’s expected to increase forecasted revenues.
The governor expressed disappointment, however, over the lack of supplemental pay increases for police and first responders, as well as the lack of explicit funding for the Mississippi River bridge.
"I’m not sure what that’s about," he said of the supplemental increases. "It certainly isn’t a lack of funding."
Edwards argued that $1.4 billion in leftover federal relief funding, in addition to a roughly $700 million 2021 surplus and $850 million excess from the current fiscal year, offers the best opportunity in years to invest in big infrastructure projects like the new Mississippi River bridge.
"Now is the time to marshal these resources for the single most important transportation … project in the state," he said.
