Changes being made to Conn. budget presentation

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget director is making changes to how the new state budget will be presented.

In memo distributed to agency heads on Wednesday, Benjamin Barnes said there will be a line for each agency budget that accounts for the cost of implementing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, new accounting standards Malloy wants to apply to state budgeting.

Barnes said the administration also plans to streamline the budget, consolidating certain appropriations into a smaller number of line items.

Restructuring the budget, Barnes said, should help agency heads "successfully manage a very lean budget" by giving them more latitude to find cost-effective ways to meet their statutory requirements.

Malloy, a Democrat, is scheduled to present his new, two-year budget to the General Assembly on Feb. 6.