Governor Doyle orders cuts across state agencies to help ease Wisconsin's budget deficit.
As part of the budget repair bill passed by lawmakers this spring, state agencies were expected to make $270 million in cuts. Governor Doyle on Thursday outlined where those would be made, so the state can close a $652 million budget hole.
The largest reductions are being ordered in the Department of Transportation, with a $103 million reduction in spending. Other areas include a roughly $53 million cut to Medicaid, $25 million from the UW-System, and over $13 million from the Department of Natural Resources.
The Department of Administration is ordering agencies to submit a plan by November 17th that details how they plan to comply with the ordered lapses in spending.
The additional cuts come on top of nearly $200 million in reductions the Governor called for before lawmakers passed a budget repair bill in May.
In a statement, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) applauded the Department of Administration for taking necessary steps to reduce state spending. However, Huebsch believes many of the cuts should be made permanent, to bring taxes in line with the public's ability to pay.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:06)
