$1 billion in cuts
by MICHELLE MILLHOLLON - Advocate (excerpt)

Gov. Bobby Jindal said Thursday that he will propose a $24.9 billion state operating budget that would cut jobs across state government and force some workers to pay more toward their retirements. Jindal’s plan would offset a $1.6 billion shortfall with about $1 billion in spending cuts and about $600 million in one-time funds. “This is a budget that is leaner,” Jindal said during an afternoon news conference in his office on the fourth floor of the State Capitol.

The spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 will be unveiled in its entirety Friday at a meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

The state is facing a $1.6 billion budget shortfall, which includes inflation as well as a drop in state and federal revenues. To balance the budget, Jindal wants to eliminate 4,000 state government positions, including about 2,000 that are now filled, cut funding to public hospitals, sell three prisons and privatize state services.