Now it's Florida's turn.
Newly elected Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican backed by the tea party, has released his first budget proposal for the state. Under Scott's plan, Florida's spending would shrink by $4.6 billion -- and some say the cuts are going too far.
Here are some of the biggest reductions in Gov. Scott's proposal.
1. A 10 percent cut in education spending
Scott is calling for a $703 million cut in school funding. State Sen. Eleanor Sobel told The Miami Herald that she feared that would have long-term negative impact on job growth, noting that a strong educational system helps attract businesses. "If you're cutting money at that level, you're not going to attract the kind of businesses that we want to have," she said.
2. Eliminating 1,690 jobs from the Department of Corrections
Despite earlier pledges to cut $1 billion from prison spending, Scott has only targeted $82 million in corrections cuts. But that will mean the loss of nearly 1,700 jobs, the most of any state agency.
3. An 8,700 overall reduction in the state government workforce
In addition to the almost 1,700 jobs Scott wants to eliminate from the Department of Corrections, he plans to cut approximately 7,000 more positions throughout the state government. The Miami Herald notes that despite these drastic reductions, Scott has budgeted for increased personnel in his own executive office. Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith has already issued a press release calling Scott's plan a "jobs-killing budget."
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4. Tax cuts worth $4 billionPerhaps the most striking feature of Gov. Scott's budget plan is a call for tax cuts totaling nearly $4 billion over the next two years. These include a $1.4 billion reduction in property taxes and a 1.5 percent drop in the corporate income tax.
5. A $4 billion Medicaid reform
To combat rising Medicaid costs, Scott has sought a federal waiver to transfer Florida's Medicaid recipients into privately run managed-care programs. Doing so would save the state nearly $4 billion over the next two years, he says.
Scott's budget must be approved by the Republican-led Florida Legislature, which has been grappling with the state's projected $3.6 billion deficit.
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