Agencies face spending cuts

State agencies face across-the-board reductions next year in travel, meals and telephone spending and other targeted cuts approved Tuesday by House Ways and Means subcommittees.

The state Department of Education and colleges appear to lose the most in the proposed spending bill. But there’s some good news for state workers in a plan that would give them 2 percent raises — the first in a couple of years.

The Department of Education would lose $294,523 in phone, travel and meal expenses. It would lose $3.1 million from its base budget. The education department’s overall budget is more than $1.7 billion, but most of that goes to school districts.

“We’ve already cut our operating expenses back, so the only place left to cut may be people,” education department spokesman Jim Foster said, and “fewer people will mean fewer services to local school districts” — including less help with new federal requirements.

Overall spending at colleges and universities would be cut by $5.5 million below their current $473.9 million budget.

Subcommittees also approved folding the John de la Howe School for troubled children into the Department of Juvenile Justice and moving the Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse into the Department of Health and Human Services.

House budget writers also may have $200 million more to work with in next year’s spending plan. The committee is considering plans to sell state land, buildings and cars to help cover a $350 million gap between expected revenues and spending demands.

Debate begins in earnest today on specific spending items.