726 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

A. 2. 7 million? Most of the legislative cuts in the budget were in the
area of increased turnover expectancy. While our budget people think
that they've been playing this thing quite narrowly, that we may run
into a deficiency situation because of it — and it's potential that it
could happen — I can't quarrel with the fact that they've made the
cuts. They've made their judgment and the Legislature's function is
to cut the budget. I am glad we were able to get them to put back
the correctional phases that they did put back in, and several other
things that we considered highly important. If they are wrong, and
they've cut too closely, we'll simply have to come in with a deficiency
appropriation next year.

Q. Isn't the increased turnover expectancy likely to clash head-on
with your increased estimates — in other words reversions — this turn-
over expectancy has a built-in factor, doesn't it?

A. Well that's true, and you'll notice that they didn't increase rever-
sions as they generally do. I can't tell you whether they've been too
close in their estimating or whether they haven't, but I feel that
they've taken a substantial risk in this turnover expectancy figure.
We'll have to wait and see how it comes out,

Q. Getting back to Medicaid, sir. Delegate Abrams said that she is
going to contact you to ask you to put back some money in the Medi-
caid program and that she is going to ask that you put it back from
the money that had been cut by the Finance Committees of the Legis-
lature. Has she contacted you?

A. I had a letter from Delegate Abrams that I just acknowledged
yesterday, but I hadn't had an opportunity to go into it. The letter,
for the most part, relates to her comments on the Nelson Committee's
findings. Whether it also contains a comment in regard to this I am
not certain at the moment.

Q. Governor, do you still plan to call a special session in June if
the Constitution is adopted?

A. Well, that will depend on the Constitutional Convention Com-
mittee, and on Mr. Eney, and on Senator James, and Speaker Mandel
as to the timing and the necessity for such a session. I have seen the
opinion fluctuate between the absolute need for such, to some people
feeling that we should avoid such a session. Naturally we don't want
to call it unless it is absolutely necessary.

Q. Governor, do you have any comments to make about Comptroller
Goldstein's most recent estimates of future revenue for the State of
Maryland?