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State House and Senate lawmakers are getting closer to a budget agreement.

Members of the joint budget conference worked over the weekend. Now they’re putting the final touches on the 69 billion dollars state spending plan. So far cuts to state worker benefits, mental health services, and a program to prevent child abuse are some of the biggest casualties. Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon says the state will be paying for the cuts to the child abuse prevention program for years to come.

“We can not come back and pick up these lives a year from now or two years from now when the economy gets better because these are folks who are going to be permanently injured.” Said Sheldon.

The legislature must have a budget agreement before midnight Tuesday in order to take a vote before the scheduled end of session Friday.