Even before the countdown to the "fiscal cliff" was over, financial leaders in the New Hampshire Legislature were eyeing how the combination of tax increases and spending cuts would impact the Granite State, the state budget and the local economy.

Members of the House and Senate Finance and Ways & Means committees are scheduled to convene Jan. 7 for a "Joint Economic and Fiscal Orientation." The first speaker is Michael Bird, of the National Conference of State Legislatures, who is to speak about the "fiscal cliff."

Other speakers scheduled for the meeting, which begins at 10 a.m. in Rooms 210-211 of the Legislative Office Building, include:

• Jeff Pattison, Legislative Budget Assistant, on the status of the state budget;

• Dennis Delay, NH Center for Public Policy Studies;

• Kenneth Johnson of the UNH Carsey Institute

• Yolanda Kodrzycki, of the Federal Service Bank of Boston.

The fiscal cliff on Jan. 1, 2013 is a combination of about $500 billion in tax increases and $200 billion in spending cuts, according to this good FAQ compiled by the Washington Post.

President Obama, House Speaker John A. Boehner, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were among the national leaders trying to work out a resolution before the new year.