MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- The Republican lawmaker who steered the 2015 education budget through the Alabama House of Representatives today said it would make the best use of a limited amount of new dollars.

Democrats sharply disagreed, saying money was available for educator pay raises but that the GOP majority chose other priorities.

Thirteen Republicans voted against the budget, which passed 51-47.

The arguments haven’t ended. The $5.9 billion spending plan goes back to the Senate, which passed a different version.

Sen. Trip Pittman, the Senate budget chairman, said he expected the bill to go to a conference committee to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions, according to the Associated Press.

Five legislative days remain to pass the budget and send it to Gov. Robert Bentley, who wanted a 2 percent raise for teachers.

Bentley also sought a $72 million boost in state spending on educators' health insurance. The budget approved today has no pay raise and increased insurance funding by $38 million.

Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, chairman of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, said there was not enough money to fund the pay raises and the rising health care costs.

A 2 percent raise for employees in K-12 schools would cost about $68 million a year, according to the Legislative Fiscal Office. Add two-year college employees and the cost would be about $76 million a year.

“There’s $92 million new dollars in this budget for K-12 schools,” Poole said. “A 2 percent raise is nearly $80 million. And we already have $38 million in PEEHIP funding. So the math just doesn’t work. And it is critical that we balance the needs of our education employees with the needs of our children in our classrooms.

“We have to be able to buy textbooks. We have to be able to operate buses. We have to be able to operate and maintain our buildings. So those are things that also have to be funded in the budget.”

Democrats did not accept the Republicans’ math. Bentley’s plan would have spent $60 million more than the House budget that passed today.

Both budget plans exceed an Education Trust Fund spending cap set by the rolling reserve act, a GOP-backed law that passed in 2011. The law is intended to prevent proration, the mid-year budget cuts required when revenues fall short of projections.

Bentley’s budget exceeded the cap by $92 million; the House budget by $24 million.

Rep. Craig Ford, the House minority leader, said that shows Republicans are willing to break the cap, so they can’t use that as a reason not to give raises.

"I don't understand, if we can violate it to a certain degree, why can't we violate it to the Nth degree," Ford said.

Many Democrats say the rolling reserve cap is ill-advised and will keep school funding artificially low as revenues rise from recession-levels that forced deep budget cuts.

K-12 education employees received a 2 percent raise this year, their first raise since fiscal year 2008.

Rep. Marcel Black, a Democrat from Tuscumbia, said he wanted to propose an amendment today to give education employees a 2 percent raise and education retirees a 2 percent cost of living adjustment, as well as boost PEEHIP funding to the level sought by the governor.

But the Republican majority voted to cut off debate and vote on the budget after just one Democratic amendment was proposed.

Black and Ford said Republicans did not want to go on the record as voting against an amendment for a teacher pay raise.

"They did everything they could to avoid having to vote on an amendment from House Democrats to give educators a pay raise," Ford said in a prepared statement after the budget passed. "That is not leadership. That is cowardice."

Poole was asked to respond to the accusation that Republicans maneuvered to avoid a separate up-or-down vote on a pay raise.

"I wanted to vote for this budget," Poole said. "I think you'd have to speak to them about their thoughts. But we debated the bill for over two hours."

Gov. Bentley had also called for an up or down vote on a pay raise for educators.

The Senate had changed Bentley's proposed raise to a 1 percent, one-time bonus. But the Senate version did not increase PEEHIP funding.

The House version removes the bonus but boosts the PEEHIP funding by $38 million.

Poole said educators had told him and other lawmakers that the insurance funding should be a priority because of what it could mean to their pocketbooks.

He said he hoped the increase could help the PEEHIP board avoid increasing insurance premiums. The board will meet in May and decide how to adjust costs and benefits based partly on what the Legislature provides.

"So that was a very clear message that I and I think the other members got from our education community was that if you have to prioritize one over the other, prioritize the PEEHIP funding," Poole said.