ANDREWS OFFERS SENATE OPTIONS FOR BUDGET CUTS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 6, 1992                   TAG: 9202060271
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: THOMAS BOYER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ANDREWS OFFERS SENATE OPTIONS FOR BUDGET CUTS
Senate Majority Leader Hunter Andrews, urging lawmakers to make up their minds how to solve the state's budget woes, on Wednesday released a list of budget cuts the General Assembly could make if it doesn't want to raise taxes.
The cuts "cover a range of pain," said Andrews, D-Hampton. "This is the other side of the budget-balancing coin."
Andrews said he wasn't necessarily advocating any of the reductions, but was offering them for consideration - as he had a package of higher taxes several weeks ago. Among the options compiled by the Senate Finance Committee staff, and what they would save:
\ Education
Allow schools to raise elementary class sizes by one pupil per teacher - $20 million.
Cut off support for the governor's schools of science and technology and fine arts - $4.6 million.
Shut state-supported dropout prevention programs - $20 million.
Raise the teaching load for professors at state universities by one class, and as a result cut 1,150 teaching positions - $69 million.
Cut state support to the Medical College of Hampton Roads by 30 percent - $5.5 million.
\ Health, human resources
Dramatically reduce Medicaid eligibility for low-income elderly in nursing homes - $80 million.
Eliminate Medicaid payments for prescription drugs for low-income, elderly and disabled people - $80 million.
Eliminate all Medicaid hospitalization coverage not required by federal law - $39 million.
Increase fees to fully cover the state's costs of processing permits for septic tanks and wells - $3.3 million.
\ Other
Reduce aid to local police departments by 10 percent - $6.7 million.
Eliminate lunch payments for state troopers - $500,000.
Reduce state tourism advertising by one-third - $2.3 million.
Require that state employees pay the entire cost of dental benefits on their health insurance - $9.1 million.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB