Department of Health did not disclose millions in savings, committee Republicans say

Tryfon Boukouvidis and Drew White

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday accused officials from the Louisiana Department of Health of not disclosing around $67 million in savings to the House while acknowledging the money to the Senate in the previous special session.

“It seems historic that every year more money is found when the bill goes to the other side,” said Cameron Henry, R-Metairie and the chair of the Appropriations Committee.

“Knowing we had this money out there, we might have done something differently,” he added, complaining that “we never seem to get all that information while you’re here.”

Jeff Reynolds, chief financial officer of the Health Department, told the committee that most of the savings, around $43 million, were part of the budget bill approved by Henry’s committee and the full House during the regular legislative session.

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