BATON ROUGE [AP] — The head of a panel charged with making $800 million in budget-cutting suggestions is proposing an across-the-board cut for state agencies next year.
Sen. Jack Donahue, chairman of the Commission on Streamlining Government, suggested Tuesday that all offices that receive state general fund money should face a 2 percent cut in the upcoming 2010-11 budget year. He estimates it would save $124 million.
And he’s recommending another 2 percent cut a year later.
The streamlining commission will vote on the idea at a later meeting.
Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis, the governor’s top budget adviser, says the administration wants the panel to consider doing away with lower value programs, rather than cutting evenly across agencies.
Donahue says he wants to eliminate unsuccessful programs — and also thinks state agencies should be expected to become more productive with fewer dollars.
