Governor proposes 10 percent budget cut for Highway Patrol

BOZEMAN (AP) - Gov. Steve Bullock's budget proposal for the next two years includes a 10 percent cut for the Montana Highway Patrol - a $7.7 million reduction that would mean the loss of 27 jobs, most of them troopers.

"The governor is aligning expenses with revenues across the entire budget," Bullock's spokesman Tim Crowe said.

The patrol's reduction is its proportion of the reductions in fuel taxes. The Department of Transportation also faces cuts due to decreased fuel tax revenue, he said.

Crowe did not respond when asked whether the governor believes the patrol can absorb the cuts w...