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Saturday, October 31, 2009
Budget Cuts Could Close State Parks
By Barry Massey
Associated Press
SANTA FE — State parks may be closed, and there could be fewer environmental inspections of oil and gas wells because of looming budget cuts, Gov. Bill Richardson's administration said Friday.
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Secretary Joanna Prukop did not specify which of the state's 35 parks could be at risk of closing if the governor signs a bill requiring 7.6 percent budget reductions for executive branch agencies.
"The cuts will have a dramatic impact on this agency's ability to serve the citizens of New Mexico and to ensure the protection of the environment," Prukop said.
Other agencies said this week that services for the elderly, children and the poor would be curtailed because of the proposed budget cuts.
Lawmakers voted to trim spending by about $253 million during a special session to deal with a budget shortfall.
Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat and chairman of the Senate committee that handles the budget, said he and other lawmakers warned Richardson before the special session that administration agencies could face larger budget cuts if the Legislature followed the governor's recommendation to shield public schools from most cutbacks.
Under the Legislature's proposals, state aid to schools would be cut by about 1 percent, but schools account for more than 40 percent of the state budget.
"It's just amazing the crying now that is happening," Smith said. "Now his political strategy is, 'Look what they did to me.' "
Other lawmakers said the executive branch agencies under Richardson's control didn't provide feedback on the potential consequences of the budget cuts during the seven-day special session.
"Not once did I hear the executive come in and say, 'If you do this, then we're going to do this,' " said House Minority Whip Keith Gardner, R-Roswell.
Journal staff writer Dan Boyd contributed to this report.
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