By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press, 01/30/03

BOSTON -- Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey unveiled more details Thursday about the budget-cutting plan announced by Gov. Mitt Romney during a televised address Wednesday night.

Romney said he was making $343 million in cuts himself and asking lawmakers to approve another $142 million in cuts and other cost saving measures to help close an estimated $650 million gaps.

Healey gave more specifics on those cuts, numbering well over 100, at a late-morning Statehouse news conference.

Among the cuts were: $10 million from a drug prescription program for seniors; $12 million from early literacy grants; $10 million from anti-smoking efforts; $3 million from the new State Police class; $2 million from the Metropolitan District Commission; $3 million from child care programs for low-income families; $3 million from AIDS prevention; and $1 million from teen pregnancy prevention.

Other cuts targeted anti-drug programs, administrative costs at state colleges, a program to revitalize urban areas, housing programs, prostate cancer prevention, breast cancer research and reduced benefits for MassHealth recipients.

About $114 million will come from local aid to cities and towns.

Healey asked lawmakers to approve additional cuts including $39 million from Medicaid programs, $8 million from affordable housing and $12 million from job training initiatives.

Healey also said the administration will ask lawmakers to approve legislation to ease state regulations and mandates on cities and towns.

The recommendations include eliminating civil service except for police and firefighters, increasing what municipal workers pay for health insurance, encouraging early retirement and exempting smaller construction projects from the state's prevailing wage law.

Healey said the package could save communities up to $75 million each year.

In his speech, Romney said he was forced to make the cuts to respond to the state's dire fiscal straits.

"A year or so ago, experts forecasted that our economy would be cooking by now. It isn't. They had planned for tax revenues to rise sharply. They haven't. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. But now we've got to face up to the reality of our fiscal situation," Romney said.