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WV Senate Moves To Cut $28M From Current Budget
By: Associated Press
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Faltering West Virginia tax revenues are prompting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to seek immediate budget cuts totaling $28 million.
The Senate Finance Committee drafted and advanced a bill Monday to reduce ongoing spending by that amount. The full Senate will vote by Wednesday.
Some of the cuts follow through on the hiring freeze ordered earlier by Tomblin for his office and Cabinet.
Lawmakers say the governor also asked his department secretaries to identify non-personnel spending that can be delayed until the next budget year.
The cuts and hiring freeze apply to the $4 billion portion of the budget supported by general tax revenues. Those revenues are $49 million behind schedule for the budget year that began July 1. Tax collections fell below estimate for the third straight month in March.