(AP) — A government cost-cutting panel wants tightened monitoring of the thousands of contracts, totaling millions, that state government agencies enter into each year.The Commission on Streamlining Government says the Legislature’s joint budget committee should sign off on any consulting contracts costing $50,000 or more before an agency can make the arrangement. The commission agreed to that recommendation Monday.Treasurer John Kennedy, an outspoken member of the commission, has questioned hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for education programs, public relations firms and social services programs. Kennedy calls much of the spending wasteful.The move to clamp down on contract monitoring comes even as the commission is pushing agencies to hire more outside contractors and shrink the state job force.