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Governor Sets $50 Million More in Mississippi Budget Cuts

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is cutting another $51 million from the $6.4 billion state budget because state revenues are lagging.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is cutting another $51 million from the $6.4 billion state budget because state revenues are lagging. Photo by Imani Khayyam.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is cutting another $51 million from the $6.4 billion state budget because state revenues are lagging.

Republican Bryant announced the cuts Thursday, after slicing $57 million in September to make up for an accounting error.

Bryant is also transferring $4 million from the state's financial reserves, for a total budget change of $55 million.

Funding for most programs will be cut just under 1.5 percent, pushing cuts for the year above 3 percent.

Some programs are exempt from cuts, including the state's public school funding formula, courts and prosecutors, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and student financial aid.

The additional cuts come as agencies seek another $101 million during the current budget year, which runs through June 30, to make up for deficits.

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