Perdue asks for more cuts

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:29:24 -0500

Gov. Beverly Perdue said this morning that she has asked administration officials to go back and find more programs to cut in the face of the $2 billion budget shortfall.

Perdue has received a list of options for a seven percent budget reduction for the fiscal year that begins July 1. A list provided by the governor's office included at least $470 million in cuts, Rob Christensen reports.

But Perdue said she was not satisfied that most of the options recommended were across the board cuts. She asked that the departments go back and identify more programs that can be eliminated.

"They have sent me a list of what the 7 percent would look like," Perdue told reporters after speaking to a Raleigh breakfast sponsored by Lillian's List, a pro-choice women's group.

"I have specifically asked(budget officials) for some programmatic cuts not just across the board," Perdue said. "This looks to me like a lot of across-the-board cuts. I find it hard to believe that there are not things that could be eliminated."

Most of the options proposed by the various state agencies include general across-the-board reductions, or eliminating positions.

But the list does include options for eliminating a few programs such as the Epilepsy Medical Care Services, the Cystic Fibrosis Medical Care Services, the state abortion fund, chiropractic and podiatric services for individuals over 20, close five unidentified correctional centers, close the McCain Correctional Hospital and close the Wilmington Residential Facility for Women.

Document(s):
perdue-budget-cuts-2009.pdf

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Perdue asks for more cuts