Florida GOP leader says annual budget cuts needed

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican senator who chairs the committee making budget decisions says it’s time to start slashing overhead.

Sen. J.D. Alexander, of Winter Haven, is calling for more cuts in recurring expenses than Gov. Charlie Crist proposed in his budget recommendation last week.

In a letter to his 39 Senate colleagues Monday, Alexander said the state could not keep paying its bills by draining savings accounts.

Legislators are returning to the Capitol for a special session to deal with a $2.3 billion shortfall.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.