Hospital, college students are losers in latest budget

Four safety net hospitals in Bogalusa, Lake Charles, Alexandria and Houma and 30,000 college students are the losers in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ executive budget presented to the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday.
Edwards and Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne presented an updated budget for fiscal year 2016-17 which was three-quarters of a billion dollars short of breaking even. The administration offered $408.7 million in cuts to Department of Health and Hospitals leaving certain hospitals unfunded, and $183.2 million to TOPS, cutting 30,000 students out of the state’s popular college scholarship program.
“It is not my plan to close any of [the hospitals],” Edwards said. ”But we still need $70 million to fund the other four safety net hospitals”
Besides the major hits to DHH and TOPS, higher education institutions will receive a $46.1 million cut and Corrections and local housing will take a $34.1 million hit. The Judicial Branch, Legislative Branch and Health Care Services Division will take the remainder of the reduction under Edwards’ recommendation.
The proposal spares Mental Health Advocacy, Military Affairs, the Public Defender Board and Veterans Affairs, among other institutions.
“If you saw the National Guard during the floods, you will see why we need to fully fund them,” Edwards said. “However, we need additional revenue because critical parties remain painfully unfunded.”
Edwards also said that the Medicaid expansion would save the state $184 million, which keeps the cuts to higher education lower than expected and allows the state to fund safety net hospitals in New Orleans, Shreveport, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.
Before the end of his testimony, the governor all but said there would be a second special session come June 7, a day after the regular session ends, despite push back from Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, who appeared to desire a delay in the second special session this year until September.
When Henry asked if it would make more sense to wait for the tax reform task force to create a full proposal at the end of the summer and call a special session in the fall, Edwards said he was not willing to wait. Further, he said he was sure the task force can provide a proposal in time for June.