Minnesota Senate cuts Kleenex, newsletter to save money
The Minnesota Senate is cutting nearly 5 percent of its budget by spending less on everything from employees to Kleenex.
The Senate Rules and Administration Committee discussed the cuts on Wednesday.
Cost cuts include a hiring freeze, pay freeze, promotion freeze and no reimbursement for out-of-state travel. Elimination of six jobs in publications and word processing will also mean the end of Senate Briefly, a weekly session newsletter.
The reductions amount to nearly $2.2 million over two years. More than four-fifths of the Senate's $22 million-a-year budget is spent on staff.
Spending on computer upgrades and new equipment will also shrink significantly.
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