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SALT LAKE CITY — Lawmakers moved closer Monday to approving a preliminary state budget that includes a 7 percent across-the-board cut sought by GOP leaders.
Members of the Executive Appropriations Committee heard more than two hours of testimony from the chairs of the seven budget subcommittees about the long lists of cuts needed.
- 2+ hours of testimony
- No action taken on proposed cuts
- Vote expected Wednesday on subcommittee proposals
- State budget finalized late next month
No action was taken on the lists Monday, but both the House and the Senate are expected to vote Wednesday on each of the subcommittee proposals.
The upcoming year's state budget won't be finalized until new revenue estimates come in late next month.
"These are base budgets, so the committees are going to have them again," Senate Budget Chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, assured the committee before the meeting was adjourned.
There were plenty of concerns raised, however, by both committee members and the budget subcommittee chairs explaining their proposals.
The executive offices and criminal justice budget subcommittee, for example, warned that $16 million saved by shutting down a prison housing unit would mean the early release of more than 800 inmates.
"We've gone past the breaking point," said the subcommittee co-chairman, Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, suggesting other cuts could put the lives of Utah Highway Patrol troopers at risk at a time when record numbers are being injured during traffic stops.
The business, economics and labor budget subcommittee had to defend several proposed cuts, including more than $2 million from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control through closing some stores and reducing hours at others.
Minority Assistant Whip Pat Jones, D-Holladay, questioned whether cutting the agency that controls the state's monopoly on liquor sales would mean a reduction in revenues.
"I'm wondering if the budget cuts are worth the savings," Jones said.
The subcommittee's co-chairman, Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, said there are risks in cutting agencies that generate money for the state. "We need to maximize our profits and make sure we don't go too far," he said.
Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, raised concerns about the proposed elimination of the office of ethic affairs, calling it "troubling."
Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy, said there is an effort to restructure the office. "The statement we are making by the elimination of this is not a reflection that we do not appreciate what this community brings to the table," Kiser said.
In the case of the social services budget subcommittee, 100 separate reductions were listed, ranging from cutting services to the blind by $2,500, to eliminating investigations of instances of domestic violence committed in front of children for a savings of more than $5.2 million.
The higher education budget subcommittee recommended leaving it up to each college and university campus to decide what should be cut.
That approach left Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsvile, "a little frustrated." Waddoups said he would rather see specific programs put on the chopping block.
The public education budget subcommittee decided to propose an additional $91 million in cuts, to be sorted out later, while recommending funding student growth.
The reason for the cuts is what's being called a structural imbalance totaling some $313 million. It's the result of the state no longer receiving federal stimulus funds and draining down other one-time sources of revenue during the past couple of tough economic years.
Lawmakers want to wipe out the imbalance in the upcoming budget year, but Gov. Gary Herbert has already proposed an $11.9 billion state budget that does not include cuts, relying largely instead on continued economic growth to eliminate the imbalance.
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