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DIRE REVENUE SITUATION FACING STATE, BUDGET WORKGROUP TOLD

A bipartisan, bicameral workgroup met for the first time Tuesday and
heard a dire picture of the state's fiscal and economic status. 

As the Legislature is still on a two-week break, members of the
workgroup were told to think of ways to trim back the budget in face of
declining revenues - an outlook made even bleaker by the possibility of
General Motors going into some type of bankruptcy and Chrysler merging
with Italian automaker Fiat. 

It doesn't appear the workgroup will convene again until the Legislature
is back from break, but the four legislative leaders will hold a
quadrant meeting Thursday to discuss the budget. 

Earlier this week, Governor Jennifer Granholm
<http://www.gongwer.com/index.cfm?link=bio.cfm&nameid=6701&locid=1>
said even with the federal stimulus, the state will have to make
significant cuts to balance its budget. And one official in the meeting
Tuesday said most of the cuts will have to come from areas not receiving
federal stimulus because of the prohibition against cutting programs
tied to those dollars.