State AG promises Justice Dept. will give $1 million back to treasury

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Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has promised to give $1 million back to the state treasury by the end of next month.

Now, we’re learning how he’s doing it. The Associated Press said Van Hollen quietly gave up $600,000 in February, after Gov. Jim Doyle asked agencies to cut spending to ward off a new budget deficit.

The order didn’t apply to the Justice Department because Van Hollen is an elected official.

He kept his actions quiet until last weekend, when he told the State GOP Convention in Stevens Point that he cut out waste in his agency.

It apparently scored some political points for Van Hollen after hardliners in his party had accused him of not being conservative enough.

Spokesman Kevin St. John said the attorney general cut overtime and did not fill a few open positions, including one for services to crime victims.

The department has also saved on rental costs at its Madison and Milwaukee crime labs.

Also, Van Hollen found about $6,000 that was budgeted a decade ago for a training conference which was never held.

St. John said the AG is still trying to figure out how to cut $400,000 more in the next month or so.

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