MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gov. Robert Bentley and other Republican leaders said Monday that they have saved Alabama taxpayers about $1.1 billion in total spending, cuts a Democratic leader said resulted in worse government services, lost jobs and unnecessary suffering.
Republican officeholders, who detailed the savings during a news conference at the Capitol, said they were able to achieve promised spending reductions and improved efficiency a year earlier than anticipated.
Bentley said state government was broke when Republicans took over in 2011 after generations of Democratic control, but their efforts to reduce costs and increase efficiency were paying off.
“Alabamians elected us to make state government more efficient and live within our means without raising taxes or cutting essential services,” Bentley said in a statement.
The governor’s office released a breakdown showing the largest share of claimed savings came from changing state pension rules. Workers are now required to pay a larger share of their salaries into retirement, saving the state about $345.6 million.