% CUTS IN '10 RANGE OF WHAT SENATE G.O.P. ANTICIPATING

Senate Republicans are still working on the final details of their proposed budget cuts, but they are indicating that they will propose overall cuts of about 15 percent for the 2009-10 budget.

At that level, the caucus would expect cuts approaching $1.3 billion in the 2009-10 budget from the adjusted level for the executive budget.   That would be $800 million more than the $525.8 million in cuts House Democrats unveiled on Wednesday.

If the budget were cut by the $1.3 billion amount, it still would not cover the entire amount the state revenues are expected to be short in 2009-10, based on the findings reached last month during the Revenue Estimating Conference.

Total cuts of 15 percent was the figure that Senate Republicans used as they began the recent process of deciding how they would propose to cut and restructure the budget.   Senate GOP officials have up to this point stressed that the final decisions would not necessarily total that amount.

But Thursday, officials were saying 15 percent cuts would be closer to the amount the caucus would expect.

That does not mean every department and state agency would expect cuts of 15 percent, officials said.   Some would see larger cuts to make up for smaller cuts in other areas, they said.

Senate Appropriations GOP members and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) were huddled in a closed-door meeting for much of Thursday afternoon discussing their proposals for budget restructuring.

Mr. Bishop had hoped the caucus would complete its work on the proposals by the end of this week, with the proposals possibly being made public next week.

Officials also hoped committee work on the 2009-10 budget would resume next week.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) said he gave the Appropriations Committee the budget targets Wednesday because the Senate had not agreed on a number and lawmakers needed to get moving on the budgets.

While the House would still rely on some federal stimulus next year to balance out the budget, Mr. Dillon said how any tax reforms come into play would depend on how the budget process works.   He said it was his focus to do more cuts in the upcoming fiscal year because the state had been so limited in time left on the current fiscal year.

Detroit Renaissance is slated to give legislative leaders an overview of its tax reform proposal next week.