(AP) — The near-automatic pay raises that thousands of Louisiana government employees will receive next year, costing $72 million, aren’t required, the head of the state civil service system told lawmakers Wednesday. Anne Soileau, the director of the Department of Civil Service, said the salary bumps have become a problem because agencies are no longer using them to reward performance. But she said the decision of who receives those raises rests with state agencies and their supervisors.- – – -Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]