Governor Dannel Malloy's budget chief appeared before the legislature's Appropriations Committee this week after Malloy unveiled his budget.  The panel began its process of going through the revised spending plan.  Bridgewater state Senator Rob Kane questioned the across the board 5.7 percent spending cut approach.  He says it takes a larger sword to the budget versus going line item by line item. 

Barnes says there is a focus to the proposals, core services.  He called it a wholesale change in agency operations.

Kane questioned where the structural changes to the state budget were.  Barnes responded that the state is no longer looking at the future in a doomsday way that the current services model suggests.

Kane's district includes Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Oxford, Seymour, Roxbury, Washington, and Woodbury.