Senate agrees to $26B budget with cuts to TOPS, hospitals

(AP) — Louisiana's state senators on Wednesday backed a $26 billion spending plan for government operations next year that would slash spending to the TOPS college tuition program, safety-net health care for the poor and a wide array of government services.

Even as they voted 37-2 for the budget proposal, senators already had an eye toward a looming special session that could raise more money to help chip away at a $600 million shortfall in the financial year that begins July 1.

The Senate budget proposal would provide 48 percent of the financing needed to fully pay for all students eligible for TOPS and would cut spending on the safety-net hospitals that care for the poor and uninsured.

Higher education, the LSU medical schools and K-12 public schools would be on the chopping block, along with public safety and child welfare programs, state parks and museums.

[...] the Senate uses $17 million in disputed utility tax payments from chemical plants to help pay for the Medicaid program.

He also said he expected lawmakers in the House to object to a Senate proposal that would let the state health department determine how to divvy up the reductions to the safety net hospitals.