FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- A group of senators and representatives held their initial meeting Monday morning. They were to resume talks Monday afternoon on the two-year, $19.5 billion budget.

The Senate passed a budget proposal late Thursday that would cut spending in multiple ways. That included eliminating the lieutenant governor's housing allowance, taking away proposed scholarships for Appalachian college students, and scrapping cost-of-living increases in the monthly pension checks of some 200,000 government retirees.

Gov. Steve Beshear had called for sharp cuts to most government agencies and programs when he initially presented his budget plan to lawmakers in January. Lawmakers accepted most of those cuts.

The legislation is House Bill 265.