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Senate committee reviews Louisiana National Guard budget; leaders warn youth programs face federal funding risk
Summary
The Department of Military Affairs presented its proposed FY26 budget to the Senate Fiscal Services Committee, highlighting a largely federally driven budget, requests to shift some security positions to state funding, and the risk that federal cuts could suspend youth programs including STARBASE and Youth Challenge.
Major Gen. Thomas Freeloux, the adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, told the Senate Fiscal Services Committee that the Department of Military Affairs is seeking to sustain readiness and youth programs in its proposed fiscal 2026 budget and warned that federal budget uncertainty threatens key education and outreach programs.
Freeloux spoke during a committee presentation led by Chaz Nichols of Senate fiscal services, giving lawmakers an overview of the agency's budget, sources of funding and program priorities. "Our primary mission is to deliver trained, ready and equipped units to fight and win our nation's wars while remaining prepared to respond to state emergencies," Freeloux said as he described recent deployments, state emergency responses and youth programs supported by the department.
The department presented a budget history and a recommended FY26 total of about $131,100,000, up from roughly $125,400,000 in recent actuals. Officials told the committee that roughly $50,900,000—about 39 percent—comes from the state general fund, federal funds account for about $68,700,000 (just over half the budget), fees and self-generated revenues total about $7,700,000 (roughly 6 percent), and interagency transfers make up about 3.7 percent.
Why it matters: the department uses substantial federal matches and agreements to fund training, operations and youth programs. Freeloux said those federal dollars have unlocked more than $30,000,000 in matching federal funding and have produced a statewide economic impact the department estimated at about $518,000,000. He told the committee that uncertainty at the Department of Defense could force program reductions at the state level.
The committee heard programmatic detail and risks. Freeloux said STARBASE, a STEM outreach program primarily for fifth-graders, "suspended operations in February of 2025 due to budget constraints" and that the Youth Challenge Program is funded approximately 75 percent by federal dollars and 25 percent by state dollars. "We are developing a plan that we can keep the capability in the state if we use the 25 percents that we get from the state, put them together and consolidate a program to have some capacity in the state of Louisiana," Freeloux said, describing a state-level contingency if federal funding were reduced.
Lawmakers also heard requests related to personnel and facilities. The department asked to change the means of finance for certain security force positions at Jackson Barracks from federal to state funding so the dwindling federal security dollars can remain focused on the federal training mission at Camp Minden and training centers in Minden and Pineville. The department briefed the committee on facility maintenance needs—including training center replacements in Pineville and motor-pool renovations in Baton Rouge—and noted that personal services (salaries and benefits) make up the largest category of expenditures.
Officials provided staffing and fiscal detail: the department is authorized roughly 849 positions for FY26 with about 89 vacancies as of December 2024; personnel services total about $70,000,000 with related benefits near $19,900,000 (including roughly $11,200,000 in unfunded accrued liability payments); discretionary spending totals were presented around $118,500,000; and the department said it typically spends about 73.4 percent of its budget in a fiscal year once carry-forwards and supplemental adjustments are included.
Freeloux also outlined a long-range strategic planning effort his office calls "Louisiana National Guard 2052," which he said is designed to align capital and personnel plans across a 30-year horizon to avoid reactive spending. He asked committee members to consider funding a master plan to expand the Gilles W. Long Center as a potential state-level youth center of excellence that could partner with other agencies, including the Office of Juvenile Justice.
The meeting opened with Freeloux reading into the record the names of four Louisiana National Guard members who died in a 2015 training accident: Chief Warrant Officer George Wayne Griffin Jr.; Chief Warrant Officer George David Strother; Staff Sgt. Lance Bergeron; and Staff Sgt. Thomas Flores. Freeloux asked the committee for a moment of silence to honor the service members.
Committee members who spoke during the presentation expressed support for the department and asked questions about capacity, program outreach and the department's contingency planning. Senator Clough noted the national recognition for the Youth Challenge Program and pressed about plans if federal funding ends; Senator DeSalle asked whether classes or programming had waiting lists, and Freeloux said capacity dipped after COVID but had returned toward pre-COVID levels in many classes.
No budget bills or ordinance votes were taken during the presentation; the committee recessed on a motion by Senator Edmonds and announced it would reconvene at the stated time.
The presentation materials and spending slides were provided to committee members and posted on the Senate's website, according to Senate fiscal services staff.
