By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—On Thursday, Governor Robert Bentley released details of cuts to government services, if the Senate concurred with the State General Fund Budget (SGF) passed in the House.
The budget coming out of the House has been characterized as Speaker Mike Speaker throwing a temper tantrum because Democrats would not cover for his tax increases. Hubbard wanted Democrats to vote in unison to his taxes hikes, to give cover to his favored Republican lawmakers, so they would not have to face a primary challenge in three years.
The bill will never pass in the Senate, but the Bentley administration’s projection, based on the House version of the SGF, conjures dark omens.
The House SGF cut Medicaid by $156 million and cuts other important agencies by approximately 5.5 percent of all State funds.
In a written statement Bentley said, “Alabamians have been clear that drastic cuts to essential government services are not acceptable.” Sen. President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) has echoed Bentley’s statement. Bentley projected cuts under the Hubbard plan:
Specific cuts to agencies other than Medicaid include:
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
• Closure of all driver license offices except Mobile, Montgomery, and Birmingham
• Close 13 Trooper Posts
• Shut down the Agriculture and Rural Crime Unit
• Layoff Aviation Staff and Fleet Management Staff
• Layoff 1/3 of all non-sworn personnel
• Layoff 75 of 431 Highway Patrol Troopers
• Layoff 30 of 147 Special Agents
• Layoff 8 of 31 Capitol Police Troopers
Department of Public Health
• Close Coosa County Health Department
• Reduction in Licensures and Certifications
• Eliminate Nicotine Patch Purchases
• Reduction in Disease Control Staff and Regionalization of County Operations
• Reduction in Staff for Restaurant Health Inspections
• Reduction in Area and State Support Staff
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Transfer to General Fund
• Layoffs
• Loss of Federal Funds for Marine Resources and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
• Closing of facilities, which could include several State Parks, Lands Division facilities, and Wildlife facilities. The size and scope is yet to be determined.
Department of Forensic Sciences
• Closure of the Huntsville Morgue
• Elimination of Fire Debris (Arson) Analysis
Department of Youth Services
• Increase in approximately 700 new juvenile commitments due to loss of diversion grant
• Layoff of personnel and closure of detention facilities
• Juvenile commitment backlog will increase in the communities
Department of Agriculture and Industries
• Closure of two diagnostic labs which test for deadly livestock diseases
• Closure of the seed lab which will risk the purity and integrity of products for farmers
Department of Senior Services
• Loss of $2.55M of Federal Funding (Federal 69 percent; State 31 percent)
• Expanded waiting list beyond the current referral list of 7,100+
• Increased costs by diverting clients from Medicaid Waiver program ($838 monthly) back into costly institutional care ($5,900 monthly)
Environmental Management Agency
• Increase in abandoned waste landfills and tire dump sites
• Increase in illegal dumps
• Deferred or eliminated cleanup of petroleum releases into soil and groundwater
Department of Commerce
• Eliminate some project recruitment efforts
Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs
• Eliminate the Alabama Rural Development Office
• Eliminate the Small Business Office
• Eliminate the Appalachian Regional Commission
• Loss of Federal Funds for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• Loss of Federal Funds for the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG)
Military Department
• Closures of up to 11 Armories that can’t remain open without electricity (13 percent of Armories)
Department of Labor
• Layoff two of seven positions (Will leave only five employees in Mine Safety Division)
• Reduced and delayed mine safety inspections that prevent accidents and fatalities
• Eliminate training contract with Bevill State College for mine rescue teams
