Fannin (HB 1) Act No. 14
The FY 2013-2014 General Appropriation Bill (GAB) totals $25.2 billion, of which $7.8
billion is State General Fund (Direct) (SGF) and $10.3 billion is Federal Funds. SGF
increased $43 million and Federal Funds decreased $993 million when compared to the FY
2012-2013 Existing Operating Budget as of December 1, 2012. Overall, FY 2013-2014
Total GAB funding is $1.4 billion less than FY 2012-2013. The GAB also appropriates $3.3
billion in Statutory Dedications, which is an increase of $629 million compared to FY 2012-
2013.
The Preamble to the GAB directs that the commissioner of administration to make reductions
of at least $20 million in SGF from budget units within HB 1.
Effective July 1, 2013.
VETO MESSAGE:
As authorized by Article III, Section 18(B), and more particularly, Article IV, Section
5(G)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana, I have exercised my right to veto 31 items of the
General Appropriation Bill. I respectfully request that you deliver on my behalf the
following message to the members of the Legislature:
Both the House and Senate did great work on a fiscally responsible budget that is good for
the people of Louisiana. The single biggest challenge facing the budget was the Medicaid
rate change made by Congress last July, lowering Louisiana's FMAP rate to the lowest it's
been in 25 years, with a total impact to Louisiana's healthcare budget of $1.8 billion. Despite
this challenge, the budget protects funding for healthcare. The budget also includes tens of
millions of dollars more for higher education next year.
The hard work of legislators from both parties and increased revenue projections have
produced a balanced budget that invests in our top priorities and protects our reforms. We've
made an investment of an additional $69 million in K-12 education, half of which will go
toward teacher pay raises, and protected our historic educations reforms from last session,
including the Louisiana Scholarship Program and our changes to teacher tenure—all without
raising taxes. We've also rejected the ObamaCare Medicaid expansion that could have cost
Louisianians $1.7 billion while moving over 240,000 of our citizens off of private insurance.
With this budget, Louisiana continues to chart a path that expands economic opportunities
for our people while reducing government's footprint, not only shrinking its size and cost,
but making government more effective and efficient by consolidating functions and applying
smarter technologies that save taxpayer dollars.
By pursuing such initiatives, the FY 2014 Budget reflects the strategic reduction of more than
12,000 full-time executive branch positions, a number that brings the total of state
government positions reduced since the beginning of our administration to over 28,000.
Even before the new position reductions passed in this budget, the number of state
government employees is already at its lowest level in over 20 years.
While protecting critical services and restructuring government operations, the FY 2014
Budget includes total funding of $25.4 billion, a decrease of $350 million, compared to the
FY 2013 total existing operating budget of $25.75 billion.
As such, the budget reflects our belief that Louisiana's future success doesn't depend on a
larger government that takes more resources away from our private sector economy, nor a
larger role for government in the lives of our citizens. Instead, it continues our efforts to
make government nimbler, more compact, and more modernized, saving money while at the
same time improving and protecting critical services.
I commend the Legislature for its work.
This letter is to communicate that I have vetoed items in House Bill No. 1, as follows:
VETO MESSAGE N0. 1 On page 2, at the end of line 8, delete "or the"; on line 9, delete "Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries,":
This language is unnecessary to achieve efficiencies and savings that help protect critical
services such as higher education and healthcare; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 2
On page 4, line 22, after "department.", delete the remainder of the line; delete line 23
in its entirety:
This language is unnecessary to achieve efficiencies and savings that help protect critical
services such as higher education and healthcare; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 3
On page 5, delete lines 22 through 30 in their entirety, and on page 6, delete lines 1
through 2 in their entirety:
Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:332 prohibits intentional discrimination in employment;
therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 4
On page 20, delete lines 54 through 56 in their entirety:
This language is unnecessary as additional funds were provided to restore adequate funding
for local emergency management programs; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 5
On page 27, delete lines 40 through 42 in their entirety:
The additional positions and funding conflict with the effort of downsizing the state
government; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 6
On page 60, delete lines 51 and 52 in their entirety:
This activity has been adequately funded in the budget; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 7
On page 92, delete lines 44 through 46 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 8
On page 94, delete lines 31 through 33 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 9
On page 96, delete lines 9 through 11 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 10
On page 96, delete lines 49 through 51 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 11
On page 98, delete lines 4 through 6 in their entirety: In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 12
On page 102, delete lines 31 through 38 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 13
On page 103, delete lines 1 through 26 in their entirety:
This is a contingency. Senate Bill 125 and House Bill 233 failed to pass; therefore, I am
vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 14
On page 103, delete lines 35 through 42 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 15
On page 104, delete lines 1 through 9 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 16
On page 106, delete lines 35 through 37 in their entirety:
There is no actual funding source to generate the funds; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 17
On page 108, delete lines 4 through 6 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 18
On page 109, delete lines 1 through 3 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 19
On page 112, delete lines 1 through 3 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 20
On page 114, delete lines 14 through 17 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 21
On page 118, delete lines 25 through 27 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 22 On page 119, delete lines 36 through 38 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 23
On page 120, delete lines 36 through 38 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 24
On page 121, delete lines 36 through 38 in their entirety:
In light of the legislative reduction to Medicaid utilization, this program expansion cannot
be funded; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 25
On page 127, delete lines 35 through 37 in their entirety:
A separate amendment provides $2,400,000 of State General Fund (Direct) which will
maintain the FY 2012-2013 level of funding. This amendment is duplicative; therefore, I am
vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 26
On page 129, delete lines 39 through 41 in their entirety:
This amendment would reduce funding necessary for consolidation of back office functions
resulting in savings that help protect critical services such as higher education and health
care; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 27
On page 150, deletes lines 24 through 28 in their entirety:
This language is unnecessary to achieve the goals and objectives of the department's aquatic
weed control initiatives in the most cost effective manner; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 28
On page 171, line 16, after "operations.", delete the remainder of the line; delete lines
17 through 18 in their entirety.
The implementation of this amendment would limit the budgetary discretion of the Southern
University Board of Supervisors; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 29
On page 211, delete lines 49 through 51 in their entirety:
This amendment provides for a reduction in professional services contracts which would
inhibit the state's ability to adequately measure student progress in elementary and secondary
education as well as prevent the department from initiating contracts relating to the
implementation of the Early Childhood Program as contained in Act 3 of the 2012 Regular
Session. The Department, local school systems, and child care centers rely on this
information to guide targeted interventions for students and professional development for
educators; therefore, I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 30
On page 232, delete lines 17 through 20 in their entirety:
This amendment would reduce funding necessary to meet contractual obligations; therefore,
I am vetoing this item.
VETO MESSAGE N0. 31
On page 235, delete lines 1 through 8 in their entirety: House Bill No. 320 of the 2013 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature was not enacted
into law; therefore, I am vetoing this item.