The dilemma facing Manchester Democratic Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, the chief budget writer, is twofold.
One, the worsening economy hasn't become better and that's bad for state revenues.
Two, as a result of one, for the second time this spring state officials told key legislators that their estimates for how many will need public assistance in the next two years has to go up.
Tilton Democratic Sen. Kathleen Sgambati told the Senate budget panel that those higher caseload estimates add $125 million in state spending to what the House had already figured on.
On Friday, Sgambati proposed a list of spending reductions totaling $95 million that would virtually strip away the added spending that the House had included in its plan over what Gov. John Lynch had first proposed.
Landrigan also outlines some of the specific programs that would see less state money, and handicaps the chances of casino-style gambling making it into the budget.
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