Minnesota Senate cuts Kleenex, newsletter to save money

St. Paul, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate is cutting nearly 5 percent of its budget by spending less on everything from employees to Kleenex.

The Senate Rules and Administration Committee discussed the cuts on Wednesday.

Cost cuts include a hiring freeze, pay freeze, promotion freeze and no reimbursement for out-of-state travel. Elimination of six jobs in publications and word processing will also mean the end of Senate Briefly, a weekly session newsletter.

The reductions amount to nearly $2.2 million over two years. More than four-fifths of the Senate's $22 million-a-year budget is spent on staff.

Spending on computer upgrades and new equipment will also shrink significantly.