Lawmakers and economists advise Connecticut residents to brace themselves for major budget cuts as legislators continue to grapple with a projected $6 billion deficit in the next two fiscal years.

"There is going to be a lot of pain and suffering," says former state House Speaker Moira Lyons. "It's going to be awful."

Lyons says state budget reductions could lead to fewer police officers patrolling the streets, higher tuition rates at the state's public universities and less state aid for local communities.

According to Lyons, Connecticut residents should prepare for longer lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles, larger class sizes in schools and road projects being pushed back.

"For the next couple of years, [it?s] going to be a bumpier road both figuratively and literally in the state of Connecticut," she says.

According to Fairfield University economics Professor Edward Deak, communities may be better able to handle cuts by combining services. For example, Deak says that towns could save money if they centralize their emergency response systems by having fewer call centers.

Deak also says another way small communities could cut spending is by combining police or fire departments.