SALT LAKE CITY?A new poll shows that most Utah residents want lawmakers to trim state budgets, but not at the expense of more state employee layoffs.

Lawmakers start budget hearings Tuesday in preparation of the 2002 session that begins Jan. 21. They must trim $200 million from the current state budget as a result of the economic downturn and unrealized tax revenues.

The Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows that 45 percent of those surveyed prefer cuts in state budgets, but not to the point of laying off state employees. Ten percent said to trim the budgets but also look at raising some general tax rates to bring in money which could prevent layoffs.