House budget chiefs reacted skeptically to Republican proposals to cut $800 million from next year’s budget at a work session Wednesday, asking GOP leaders for more specifics about how they would lay off 1,500 state and university workers.

Legislative analysts expressed strong doubts about the largest single item in the Republican plan -- $195 million recovered from incorrect Medicaid payments. The staff believes only about one-sixth of those savings could be achieved.

Lawmakers are seriously considering a $30 million reduction to Baltimore City’s share of the state aid that local jurisdictions share for road maintenance.

But city legislators are prepared to fight the staff proposal to redistribute that money to the state’s 23 other jurisdictions. Analysts say the move would more evenly distribute the money, which comes from gasoline, vehicle registration and titling taxes categorized as “highway user revenues.”

Local governments have taken a hit across the board, as the state kept most of the highway revenues that it usually sends to counties in order to balance the state budget.