AUGUSTA – Democratic leaders signaled a further willingness Tuesday to meet Republican requests for spending reductions by asking all state departments to identify a potential 5 percent cut in their respective operational budgets.

House Speaker John Richardson, D-Brunswick, and Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, issued the memo to legislative committee chairmen Tuesday morning in an attempt to find other ways to reduce or eliminate the need for a $450 million state revenue bond approved by majority Democrats in March to balance the state’s budget.

“In order to evaluate the possibility of removing the bond and to assist legislators and the public in understanding the impact of such significant cuts, we are asking each of you to require the commissioners supervising all state departments and agencies within your jurisdiction to present a proposal to reduce spending within their jurisdiction by 5 percent,” the Democratic leaders’ memo stated.

Democratic leaders want to see what a 5 percent cut would look like by May 26 and asked the departments to be prepared to present the reductions to the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee on May 31.

“We realize that this is an ambitious and tight schedule, but our rapidly approaching (June 15) statutory adjournment date and the great deal of work that remains before us require that this review be conducted quickly,” the memo stated.

Richardson said Republicans had suggested across-the-board cuts in the past and that it was important to “see what 5 percent looks like.” He said he plans to talk with Republican leaders Thursday during a closed-door session in which further aspects of as yet unspecified Republican spending cuts are to be revealed.

“We’re hoping to see the details,” he said.

Meanwhile, Republicans remained circumspect about the meeting and Tuesday’s memo, which they hoped was a “sincere intent” to reduce the size of state government.

“We want to know whether it’s an honest attempt to find out areas where savings could be achieved or is it an attempt to just scare the public with worst possible scenarios,” said House Minority Leader David Bowles, R-Sanford. “It remains to be seen, but we’ll know when they start reporting back. If it’s ‘cut the football team,’ then we’ll know it wasn’t a serious exercise.”

Rebecca Wyke, commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, said Tuesday it was “appropriate” for the Baldacci administration and the Legislature to look at all of the available spending options. Still, she acknowledged that making reductions to Medicaid programs while increasing education funding has proved to be a challenge for policy-makers. Finding additional reductions, she said, will be no less daunting.

“It’s going to be a difficult exercise, but we’re going to look at it,” she said.