Texas Budget Cuts

By KRWG News

Texas – Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus are asking state agencies to submit plans for reducing their budgets.

It's been less than a year since the state budget was written, but the Republican leaders appear to be preparing for prolonged state revenue declines and a tough 2011 budget-writing session.

In a letter to agency heads, the three asked for a plan to reduce expenditures by 5 percent no later than Feb. 15. They also asked departments to minimize the impact on services.

The current budget, which started in September and extends through August 2011, allocated about $87 billion in state money to the agencies.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.