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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Legislature is starting to take a position on Gov. Jon Huntsman's budget cuts, with the Senate proposing to double the number.
The Senate's majority Republicans emerged from a closed-door retreat Saturday saying they wanted to reduce state spending by 15 percent or more than twice the cut sought by Huntsman for the fiscal year starting July 1.
Majority Leader-elect Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, says that with the economy souring making a bigger cut now probably would spare legislators from having to do a second round of cuts latter.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported the Senate's plan would slash hundreds of millions of dollars and could force layoffs for dozens of state workers. Killpack told the newspaper that public education faces certain cuts. One thing the Senate wants to spare is highway projects.
Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
