Louisiana Gov.
Bobby Jindal, often mentioned as a Republican presidential hopeful, presented a proposed state budget Thursday that cuts spending and asks state workers to pay more toward their retirement, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported Friday.
Jindal’s spending plans offsets a $1.6 billion budget hole with $1 billion in cuts and about $600 in one-time funds. The deficit comes as the federal stimulus money used to bolster the current budget dries up.
“This is a budget that is leaner,” Jindal said at a news conference.
His proposal includes cutting about 4,000 state government positions, and spending cuts for public hospitals, and a pitch to privatize three state prisons.
State legislators will begin debating Jindal’s proposal, and have until June 23 to finalize the budget.
Some lawmakers are expected to try and raise some taxes, but Jindal has repeated his vow to veto any budget that includes a tax increase.
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