Baker says state to see more change

Thursday, May 29, 2003

With only one day left of the legislative session, State Sen. Tom Baker is beginning to look at next year's issues.

Legislative committee chairmen will be spending much of their recess looking at the possibility of restructuring the state's governmental agencies, Baker said. Committee chairs are meeting with Speaker Curt Bromm this afternoon to plan the study groups which will examine not only state, but also city and county governments and schools.

Baker said state residents should expect to see some changes in the way the state is doing business.

One of the changes Baker expects is a combined city and county government, especially in categories such as law enforcement.

Another change will most likely be a move to consolidate schools in the state, with Class I schools being the first target. Two options Baker believes will be looked at are that all Class I schools will be closed or Class I schools within 15 miles and with a per pupil cost more than 125 percent of its affiliated district will be forced to close.

"There's going to be some major restructuring," Baker said.

Baker told the McCook Legislative Committee the Legislature's vote to override the governor's veto of the state budget package was a given after the overwhelming support shown with the original vote.

"It was a fluid situation where we had to go with the punches. I don't know what we could have done differently," he said.

Baker told the group that while the numbers aren't official, the state's estimated revenues for the month of May are $30 million below revenue projections. He said the state could use $50 million of the $108 million pledged by the federal government under President George W. Bush's tax plan to pay some of the bills in August or September. But beyond that, he said, "We've got to make additional cuts if we have additional problems later on."

"There won't be any more tax increases. There will be spending cuts, You'll see major changes, forcing city and county governments to merge. There will be state agencies that will have to go," he predicted.

And he said, there will have to be changes in Medicaid. "Medicaid is doubling every four years. We will either have to change the structure of get more money from the federal government," Baker said.

"Right now, the tail is wagging the dog, We're saying 'these are the benefits we'll cover -- send us the bill.' We should turn that around 180 degrees and say 'here's how much you can spend, you figure out how you want to spend it.'"

Baker also defended lawmaker's decision to close the Lincoln Correctional Center, saying that while they could vote to reinstate funding during the regular 2004 Legislative Session, he doubts it will happen.

With the passage of the Community Corrections Bill, LB46, the state will no longer need all the prison beds, Baker said.

"There are 500 people that will be out in six months anyway," Baker told the group. "Our questions is do we want them "jammed (serving their full prison sentence without parole following their sentence) and pushed out the back door, or do we want them on parole for a year or two."

Baker said the yearly cost per prisoner at LLC is $28,000 while the cost to place a prisoner on parole is $3,500 to $4,000 a year.

Baker assured the committee that when the facility is closed, not all prisoners will be released from LLC. Instead, the Nebraska Department of Corrections will do some restructuring.

Only about 150 of the 500 inmates at LLC would be eligible for parole. The remaining 350 would be placed in other state corrections facilities. The remaining 350 inmates who are eligible for parole would be released from other institutions.

Baker assured the group that only those eligible for early release would be released from the state's prison system.

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