State agencies all facing deep cuts as budget talks begin

Democratic House and Senate members rejected the Republican majorities cuts. The Republicans' budget reductions "are not balanced, they are not humane," said House Minority Leader Dave Litvack, D-Salt Lake. "There is a better way to do this.".

Democrats will have their own budget proposals, and hope that some concerned Republicans will join them. The eight Senate Democrats "reject the 85 percent budget" Republicans have put together, said Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay.

Tax increases are apparently off the table for both the governor and lawmakers. As a last resort they might look at fee increases, said Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan.

"The tax increases necessary to cover this shortfall are dramatic," said Senate Budget Chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan. Just to take care of the shortfall in education, for example, would mean a 15 percent hike in the state income tax.

"In this economy, to talk about tax increases gives everybody a chill," HIllyard said, reminding people to remember that the state would still be spending as much as it did in 2007.

The cuts would hit everyone hard, with lay-offs at nearly every state agency and scaled back or canceled programs. That means that those who depend more on the state, such as children, the elderly, and the disabled will suffer more.

Reductions to at least 13,000 senior citizens, including Meals on Wheels and eliminating nearly $4.5 million from a program that provides in-home care for elderly Utahns, were among the proposals heard in the Health and Human Services subcommittee. Health education and illness prevention programs such as diabetes and anti-tobacco use campaigns are also being targeted.

Among the most controversial options is reducing funding for county-level public and mental health services, including closing 30 adults beds at the in-patient state mental hospital and significantly reducing services for as many as 40,000 Utahns who are mentally ill.

Education on all levels will also be hit, undoing at least some of the funding increases that has been given to schools in the past two sessions. To handle the blow, education officials proposed some creative methods, including the cancellation of one day of school.

Legislators may also look at specialized programs, such as the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, as a way to save money. The biggest problem they face, however, is that any budget changes this year would happen in the middle of the school year.

Jobs will inevitably be lost, but both the Public Education and Higher Education subcommittees said they wanted to look at ways to minimize the impact of students.