Budget to Trim Attorney General's Office

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett says he’ll be forced to lay off 32 employees, if Governor Ed Rendell’s proposed budget for his department goes into effect.
Rendell’s budget would trim the Office of the Attorney General’s state spending by one percent, to 85 million dollars.
That’s nine million dollars below the department’s 08-09 budget. Nearly every line item, including the Child Predator Interception Unit, the Joint Local-State Firearm Task Force and Tobacco Law Enforcement, would see a slight reduction.
Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss the budget, Attorney General Tom Corbett argued his department is far from a money drain, when it comes to state revenue.

"We basically pay for ourselves with the money we bring in through consumer protection, the money we save in the civil lawsuits that we defend on behalf of the state of Pennsylvania, the money we get in from the antitrust actions and the multi-state actions. We bring in as much as we cost you."

Corbett says his department has 55 fewer staffers than when he became Attorney General.
Corbett is hoping to set next year’s budget himself – he’s the frontrunner in the Republican gubernatorial primary.