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Ten bills make up more than two-thirds of proposed spending so far.

The biggest requests of the 137 special appropriations bills filed so far this year all seek money for statewide programs.

$173 million: Give each victim of the state's sterilization program $50,000. 

$113.5 million: Keep the State Health Plan for state government workers, teachers and retirees afloat.

$93.9 million: Give teachers across-the-board pay raises by eliminating bonuses for end-of-the-year testing.

$93.9 million: Give teachers across-the-board pay raises by limiting bonuses for end-of-the-year testing.

$50 million: Help build low-income housing through a program that offers tax credits and other incentives. (Companion)

$50 million: Provide grants for water and sewer treatment projects.

$44 million: Pay teacher bonuses based on end-of-the-year testing that were earned but not given in the 2007-08 school year. (Companion)

$36.6 million: Fund public health initiatives on childhood obesity, HIV in prison inmates, school nurses, preterm births, flu vaccines, sexually transmitted diseases, strokes, diabetes and smoking cessation.

The proposals total $561 million, not counting the two companion bills and the second bill on teacher salaries. That's 71 percent of the $785.6 million requested so far.

State legislators have now asked for $778.7 million.

A total of 130 bills filed since the start of the session have requested special appropriations for various state programs and causes.

That's about 25 percent of the likely $3 billion budget shortfall.

Thirty-one of the bills are companions filed in the other chamber, and three other bills are similar. Bills filed in both chambers total $162.3 million.

The 68 House spending bills total $523.8 million; 61 Senate spending bills, $531.8 million.

The largest spending bill to date is Sen. Larry Shaw's request for $173 million to compensate victims of the state's sterilization program, which is unlikely to pass. The second largest is Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand's request for $113.5 million to shore up the State Health Plan, which is likely to pass.

Other large requests are for $93 million to supplement teacher salaries, $50 million for wastewater treatment projects, $50 million for low-income housing, $44 million to pay teacher bonuses, and $36 million for public health programs.

The smallest request is for $10,000 to upgrade a day care.

Only 11 spending bills totaling $70.8 million have a Republican among their primary sponsors.

The bills also request $434.8 million in the 2010-'11 budget.

Rep. Rick Glazier says some special appropriations are healthy.

The Fayetteville Democrat made a distinction between bills requesting specific funds for statewide programs and those that just help someone in their district.

He said it's always worth discussing state programs on education or health programs, for example, saying it "sends a signal" that they are worth discussing later.

But with the state facing a $2 billion or higher shortfall, he said legislators should avoid filing bills to help a constituent.

"I'm not filing any bills that relate to special projects back home," he said. "Those kinds of bills are really inappropriate this year."

So far this session, Glazier has been the primary sponsor on 10 bills that would spend more than $100 million.

The bills would supplement teacher salaries, expand technical education and military business centers at community colleges, fund a teaching center, pay for foreign language pilot schools, expand a positive behavior initiative in state schools and expand the N.C. Science Olympiad statewide.

Two bills would benefit Fayetteville: One to give $1 million to support a defense industry incubator there and another to spend $50,000 to clean up a contaminated site. 

State legislators have now asked for $577.5 million.

Twenty-four more bills filed since Dome last checked have added another $282.6 million in requested spending, even as the state faces a $2 billion shortfall.

The largest request of the most recent batch is $93.9 million set aside for ABC bonuses to be used instead for teacher salary increases. A second bill does the same thing with more restrictions.

The smallest request is $97,000 to provide medicine to low-income women that would reduce premature births.

Other spending bills would increase technical education at community colleges, build a guest house at a Winston-Salem hospital, hire three workers to lead a behavioral program at state schools, provide scholarships for rural social workers, provide mentoring and tutoring to gang members, open a dentistry school at East Carolina University, fund community theatres, give community economic development grants, buy vans for an after school program in Charlotte, fund various public health programs, provide grants for Boys and Girls Clubs and promote awareness of SIDS.

Nine other bills are companions to bills already filed.

In all, the requests amount to 29 percent of the estimated shortfall.

The requests also add another $49.6 million in spending next year, for a total of $188.8 million in 2010-11 requests.

Ongoing coverage of spending bills is available here.