Mississippi governor cuts budgets, dips into rainy day fund

[...] exempt are Medicaid, university students' financial aid, veterans services, state debt payments and the entire Department of Public Safety.

State law says a governor can't cut legislative spending, but Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn said they will reduce the House and Senate budgets to match cuts being made by other agencies.

The estimates are experts' best guess for how much money will be available for state government to spend, based on employment numbers and other economic indicators.

Because of the reduction in the revenue estimates, legislative leaders said the midyear budget cuts announced Wednesday were not a surprise.