NewsTracker

* Last we knew: The Joint Appropriations Committee cut 17 jobs from the 780 new state government jobs requested by Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

* The latest: The state House trimmed 88 of the 288 positions budgeted to staff the new medium-security prison at Torrington, along with some others.

* What's next: Further action on the state budget is expected today in the House and the Senate.

CHEYENNE - The House chipped away at 763 new state government jobs in the state budget Thursday, with the Department of Corrections getting the biggest whack.

The House removed 88 of the 288 positions budgeted to staff the new medium-security prison at Torrington on grounds the employees will not be needed until June 2007.

Supporters of the cuts said they can add the positions during the Legislature's general session next year.

The House left in the bill more than 300 positions for the department to staff expansions at all four existing state penal institutions.

Rep. Frank Philp, R-Shoshoni, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, repeatedly mentioned a budget deficit facing lawmakers and a dip in natural gas prices as ample reasons to curb the growth of state government.

Cutting the 88 jobs will help the budget "bottom line," Philp said.

A new financial report issued by the Legislative Service Office Thursday said the projected deficit - if all new spending proposals now before lawmakers are approved - dropped to $333 million after spending bills counted twice were corrected.

The House cut three of 34 proposed new positions at the Department of Environmental Quality, all in the solid waste management division; four new slots in the Office of State Lands and Investments; and 18 new positions spread through 11 separate agencies.

An aggregate number of the positions cut was not available late Thursday.

The budget bill comes up for third and final reading in the House and Senate today.

Department of Corrections Director Bob Lampert said after the vote he expected the cuts. He said his staff had recommended that he not include the positions for the new medium-security prison in this year's budget, but he wanted to let everyone know the number that would be needed.

"When they come back in the supplemental session (next year), there shouldn't be any surprises," Lampert said.

He also said he was pleased that both the Joint Appropriations Committee and the Legislature took a realistic look at the other new positions for the existing corrections institutions.

If those positions had been denied, the department would be unable to operate its expansions at the Women's Center at Lusk, the State Penitentiary at Rawlins, the Honor Farm at Riverton and the Conservation Camp at Newcastle.

Bids for the new Torrington prison will be opened March 16, he said. Staff members will be on site beginning in July to oversee construction and develop rules. Recruitment for the prison staff will begin in January 2007. The new facility is scheduled to open in January 2008.

During the debate on the Department of Environmental Quality budget, Philp was main sponsor of an amendment to cut eight of the 34 new positions for the agency. But House members agreed to cut only three positions, all of them from the solid waste division.

Rep. Pete Jorgensen, D-Jackson, an Appropriations Committee member, argued that the new slots for the air quality and water quality divisions are needed to monitor stepped-up coal-bed methane activity in the state.

Capital bureau reporter Joan Barron can be reached (307) 632-1244 or via e-mail at joan.barron@casperstartribune.net.