BATON ROUGE— Key lawmakers appeared before the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday to unveil their plans for the upcoming legislative session.

A week from the start of the session, money is top of mind, especially as the state faces a $194 million shortfall.

State Representative Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, says state leaders must find a new path forward after voters rejected an effort to restructure how the state raises money. She says Amendment 2, which failed at the ballot box, would have restructured an article of the state constitution.

"We want our state to be more competitive," Emerson said. "There were a lot of different components of this. It was a whole article rewrite. We definitely swung for the fences."

The deficit could affect various state agencies and lead to reductions, according to House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland.

One component of Amendment 2 would have given teachers a permanent pay raise at a cost of nearly $200 million. McFarland says that could still be possible, but that would require other cuts.

"Our education system is on the rise in Louisiana," McFarland said. "You've heard that reported teachers are playing a large role in that."

Emerson, who leads the House Ways and Means Committee says she wants to try again with the elements of Amendment 2.

The session starts Monday, April 14.