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RALEIGH – The State Senate is one step closer to approving its spending plan proposal for the next fiscal year.

There are some deep cuts to areas like health and human services, but the message is clear from the legislative body – education is to be harmed as little as possible.

“None of this has been fun,” said Democratic Sen. Linda Garrou, appropriations chair. “I've said to folks, everyone I know is upset with me and disappointed.”

But she says the Senate is disappointed too. As the Appropriations Committee went through its budget recommendations on Tuesday, it was one set of cuts after another.

Those reductions include more than $400 million for health and humans services, $83 million for justice and public safety and $158 million in cuts for education. The education proposal also includes the option of up to two days of furlough for teachers.

“When you come down to whether having to let people go or take a two-day furlough along the way – and remember, to take that furlough this is a last resort. Period,” Sen. A.B. Swindell, D-Nash County, said.

For those Republicans not involved in the budget writing process, they say this budget is a lot of smoke and mirrors and really doesn't do as much cutting as is necessary.

“They're playing with the numbers because you have to be cognizant of what they are reducing the numbers from,” says Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Guilford County.

State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin wasn't concerned about the numbers. He took issue with a provision that was included as of Monday night that would have taken away his authority to set insurance rates for the state.

“If this goes forward, it will raise rates, and it will set a deregulation of insurance at a time when lord knows working families don't need this piled on them even further,” says Goodwin.

This change in authority had been tried before several years ago and was ultimately defeated by the legislature. On Tuesday, a simple amendment defeated it again.

The Senate now has its spending proposal in position to come to the Senate floor, where the full Senate will begin debating it on Wednesday.