Feds Cut Payments to States, Blame Sequester

Still throwing a tantrum over not being able to spend as much as they want

The federal government has sent letters to 35 states, informing them it's cutting federal mineral payments by about $110 million, or 5 percent, as part of the automatic spending cuts that started this month due to sequestration.

The Obama Administration hit New Mexico hard, with a whopping $26 million beanball. Only Wyoming, which figures to lose $53 million per year, will take a bigger hit.

The feds paid a total of $2.1 billion last year to states, revenue from energy and mineral production that occurred on federal land within those states.