BATON ROUGE (AP) — Despite talk of possible cuts, the House and Senate backed a budget for themselves Monday that doesn’t trim annual spending in legislative agencies next year.

The $89 million legislative budget given final passage with a unanimous vote of the Senate is a standstill spending plan, even as cuts have stripped funding from agencies across state government.

House Speaker Jim Tucker and Senate President Joel Chaisson had previously said they expected to recommend reductions to the measure before it was complete. But that never happened.

The legislative leaders made similar comments as they worked on the budget last year and again decided against cutting their own agencies.

Lawmakers did, however, agree to take money from a legislative fund set aside for technology upgrades and use those dollars to help cover expenses in other agencies next year.

Senate President Joel Chaisson said the money removed from the set-aside fund represents a reduction to the Legislature.

“We do have to operate this place, and that’s why the cuts were made where they were, to things can that be put off, like technology,” said Chaisson, D-Destrehan.

An attempt by one House member earlier this session to cut travel and expense allowances was shelved because of opposition from lawmakers.

The budget will pay for legislative agencies in the 2011-12 fiscal year that begins July 1.

The House will keep a $27.6 million budget and the Senate an $18.8 million budget.

Annual merit raises for those workers who meet the requirements of their annual performance evaluations will be scrapped, just like for other government agencies. Per diem rates for attending legislative meetings won’t rise.

Other agencies in the Legislature, including those that analyze the cost of bills and study legal issues for lawmakers, also will keep flat funding.

The only increase will come from self-generated fees in Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera’s office, which audits government agencies and reviews state spending. His office’s budget will grow from $30.7 million to $31.2 million.

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Online:

House Bill 631 can be found at www.legis.state.la.us