Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards released his initial budget plan Thursday for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
The plan includes cuts to safety-net hospitals and rural hospitals. Specifically, safety-net partner hospitals would see a $30.5 million cut, while rural hospitals would see a $6 million cut, The News-Star reports. State funding for Louisiana's health department faces $184 million in cuts, including the $30.5 million for the partner hospitals, the report states.
The governor said the overall proposed budget is balanced by recognizing $440 million in lost revenue for next fiscal year.
"This is not the budget proposal I want to present and should serve as a starting point for the legislature," Gov. Edwards said in a news release. "For the second year in a row, my budget plan contains no one-time money to pay for recurring expenses and no fund sweeps. The budget I am submitting only spends money the state is projected to have for the next fiscal year, meaning that many state services that I, and the people of Louisiana, consider to be important are not yet funded. Our work during the next regular session will be critical as we structurally reform the state's budgeting practices. In doing that, we will ensure that our state brings in a sufficient amount of revenue to fund our priorities and put Louisiana on a path to prosperity."