It seems inevitable.

Human Services Director Julie Stevermer expects cuts to her department. After all, Human Services has one of the largest budgets in the state.

“We’re going to get targeted,” she said.

The state House of Representatives passed a bill outlining $1 billion in cuts. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this week.

“Its going to be a tough year for legislators,” Stevermer said. “They’re really going to have to look at programs.”

The cuts have Stevermer and other leaders singing a familiar tune — one they hope the state legislators will finally hear.

“If they’re going to cut the funding, they’ve got to release the mandates,” she said.

Unfunded or partially funded mandates make up about $3 million of the roughly $9 million Human Services budget.

Mandate reform would ease the sting of the expected budget cuts, she said. Cuts to Human Services are already expected in the next biennium in 2012, but Stevermer said she doesn’t know what cuts to expect this year.

“It’s too early to tell what our cuts are going to be and what we can do.”