Louisiana teachers and school support workers are still facing the possibility of losing their temporary stipends after the Senate Finance Committee approved changes to the state’s proposed $47 billion budget without restoring the extra pay.

The current stipends provide an additional $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff. Those payments have been included in recent state budgets but remain absent from the latest version approved by the committee.

The issue comes shortly after Louisiana voters rejected Amendment 3, a proposal connected to education funding changes and efforts to create more permanent teacher pay increases. With the amendment failing at the polls, lawmakers are now under pressure to find another way to continue the stipends long term.

State leaders say the budget decisions are being shaped by declining revenue forecasts. Earlier this month, the Revenue Estimating Conference projected Louisiana will collect approximately $104 million less than expected next year, while also facing a current-year shortfall.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Glen Womack said lawmakers are trying to slow the growth of state spending and delay some new programs because of financial constraints. Senate President Cameron Henry said legislators must be cautious about expanding spending while revenues remain uncertain.

Even with tighter financial conditions, the revised budget proposal still includes major investments in several areas, including nearly $500 million for highway and transportation projects, $420 million for early childhood education, full funding of the K-12 education formula, Medicaid service increases, economic development projects and retirement debt payments.

Gov. Jeff Landry has continued to publicly support maintaining educator pay increases and has indicated he would oppose raises in other areas of state government if teacher stipends are not continued.

The budget process is not final, and lawmakers still have time to make changes before the legislative session ends June 1. Teachers and support staff across Louisiana will be closely watching to see whether the stipends are restored in the final version of the state budget.