Cuts in the proposed state budget and their effects on local governments aren’t likely to change much before the spending document is approved, some legislators predicted Monday.

Five of the local state legislators briefed the county’s Legislative Committee about the 2009-11 budget, for which there was a public hearing in Racine earlier in the day.

Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, said he expected the budget would be adopted after some debate. Rep. Thomas Lothian, R-Williams Bay, then cut to the political reality that Democrats controlled both the Assembly and the Senate.

“I don’t think we can stop them,” Lothian said.

Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said the governor trimmed state staff and programs to help reduce the state’s $5.7 billion deficit.

Rep. John Steinbrink, D-Pleasant Prairie, said the Legislature might be able to adopt suggestions from some state employees who are affected by proposed cuts to state government and who have suggested alternative funding.

“But trying to come up with additional money,” Barca said, “is going to be a challenge.”

Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser still hoped there would be ways to handle the estimated additional burden to the county of $400,000 in Medicaid costs at Brookside Care Center and of $680,000 for mental health patient placement that’s expected because of the cuts.

Also, a state 1 percent reduction in shared revenues for all counties means a $48,000 loss here.

Lothian said shared revenue cuts in some of the communities he represents far surpassed the 1 percent. Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Randall, noted her constituents face cuts in the 8 percent to 15 percent range.

Wirch said there’s no sense in slashing staff at the state Department of Revenue when auditors are needed to find an estimated $1 billion in unpaid income taxes.

Barca said chances are the best they’ve been in a long time for regional transit authorities to gain legislative support.

Such an authority could levy a half-cent sales tax to pay for, in Kenosha County’s case, long-debated commuter rail to Milwaukee.

“We’ve never seen so much business support,” he said.

County Board Supervisor Mark Molinaro was not impressed with the legislators’ details on how the proposed budget would eliminate the deficit.

“I’m floored by the lack of information and overview from our legislators,” he said.

Lothian said the budget does have fee increases and tax increases for cigarettes, oil producers, hospitals and nursing homes. Barca said residents earning more than $300,000 annually would have a tax increase.

There also is a proposal to tax online purchases and to reduce prison costs by early release of non-violent offenders.