Legislators Hope to Cut Proposed Budget

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With this year's legislative session opening on Tuesday in Pierre, legislative leaders say they hope to make substantial cuts in Gov. Mike Rounds' proposed budget to get a head start on handling the more severe budget gap the state is expected to face a year from now.

Rounds has proposed using $32 million in reserve funds to balance the state budget for the year beginning July 1.

But the governor has also told lawmakers that the gap between ongoing revenue and spending could grow to more than $100 million in the following year, which begins in July 2011.  That projected budget gap would exceed the remaining reserves.

Legislative leaders say any cuts made in the next budget will make the following year's budget problems easier to solve.

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