Budget-cut decisions postponed

At the last minute Thursday, GOP legislative leaders decided to take another look at just how big cuts to the state's current-year budget really need to be — even as Democrats were preparing to push for reducing the amount by $15 million.

The decision, made behind closed doors by House and Senate Republican leaders, resulted in the cancellation of a much-anticipated Executive Appropriations Committee meeting an hour after it was to have started. The meeting has been rescheduled for Friday.

Both the House and Senate Republican majority caucuses had agreed to $365 million in across-the-board cuts hammered out by GOP leadership and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. About $175 million would be added back into the budget to limit the overall reduction to about 3.5 percent, although some agencies would be hit harder.

But Democrats, who were left out of the process, met late into the night Wednesday to come up with their own proposal that totaled $350 million in cuts. House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake, said that would allow $11 million less to be cut from public education and $4 million less from human services and other critical needs.

House Speaker Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, insisted the Democratic proposal had nothing to do with his telling GOP leaders they needed to reconsider their budget-cut package for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

"I'll take the blame today," Clark said. "It seemed to me there was an opportunity to take another look at this."

The speaker said he has a specific proposal to ease the impact of the cuts on public education, but declined to be specific about either the amount of money or the source.

Clark said he was not concerned about losing the votes of some of the more moderate members of the House majority to the Democratic proposal.

"I can tell you wholeheartedly, that thought has never even crossed my mind," he said. "Not at all. … There's a reason why a majority party is here."

The shortfall for the current budget year is expected to be $350 million, but Republicans have expressed concerns it could be higher. Litvack said Democrats prefer to be more optimistic — and he suggested there are Republicans who would agree if the Democratic proposal comes up for a vote.

"I think that's a very legitimate concern, and I think that's why the Republican leadership is reconsidering their proposal," Litvack said.