BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal's top budget adviser says a consultant hired to devise state money-savings ideas has already come up with enough recommendations to pay for the $4 million contract.

Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols said Friday that the recommendations from Alvarez & Marsal were included in Jindal's budget proposal for next year.

Nichols said she expects more ideas to come. But she stressed that the cost of the work has been covered, trying to address concerns raised by lawmakers who questioned if the contract was a waste of money.

After the criticism, the Jindal administration amended its contract with Alvarez & Marsal to require the firm to find $500 million in savings ideas. Nichols had said those were the agreed-to terms, but the requirement wasn't included in the original contract.

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