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Departmental Budget Overview

FY03 Budget Enhancements

Priorities in the FY03 Budget focused primarily on enhancements in Higher Education, Economic Development, and maintaining Health Care Services. Some of the enhancements in the FY03 Budget include:

• Increased funding to Urban Affairs $3.2 m
• Increased funding to Rural Development $3.0 m.
• Computer-related adjustments $2.2 m.
• Funding for Homeland Security $10.7 m
• NCAA Men's Final Four and Women's Volleyball Tournament $1.0 m.
• Partnership of Greater Baton Rouge $0.4 m.
• Hornets Transition to New Orleans $1.8 m.*
• Compaq Classic Golf Tournament $0.3 m.
• Pay Increase for State Troopers $15.6 m.
• Adds 325 slots to the Medicaid MR/DD Waiver Program and creates up to 100 slots in a new waiver program for the developmentally disabled $6.1 m.
• Increase for Community and Technical College Pool $6.6 m.
• Performance and Quality Improvement Pool $6.4 m.
• Higher Education Merit Increases and Group Benefits Increases $26.4 m.
• Teacher Quality Program $0.8 m.
• Governor's Bioscience Initiative at LSU $4.0 m.
• The MFP and Teacher Pay $45.2 m.

* To be reimbursed to the State General Fund from the avails of an existing 1-cent sales tax on hotel/motel room rentals in New Orleans.