House of Delegates Finance Committee Chairman Harry Keith White has asked state Secretary of Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin to make another visit to the House Finance Committee later this session.
White didn’t like some of the budget numbers he saw Thursday when Secretary Goodwin and her different divisions made their budget presentations.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin ordered most state agencies to cut their budgets for next fiscal year by 7.5 percent. Sec. Goodwin says her department did not make across-the-board cuts.
“No,” White said. “It looks like you’ve taken most of your legislators (line items) and cut by 14 percent,” he said.
Particularly getting White’s attention was the funding in the budget lawmakers use to give to fairs and festivals and other community events.
“It looks like you cut primarily fairs and festivals and some of the special (budget) lines,” White said. “It doesn’t seem like there’s any rhyme or reason why these cuts were made.”
Goodwin admitted they had come up with creative ways to deal with the Governor’s ordered cuts. Chairman White didn’t seem amused about what’s happened.
“If the governor asked for 7 and a half percent, .I don’t understand why there’s a 14 percent cut,” he said.