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About a dozen negotiators from the House and Senate have been working, off and on, the past couple of weeks on a nearly $5 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. They've been unable to set aside differences on key issues, including whether to put $60 million into a reserve fund that could be tapped in January 2011, when federal stimulus money disappears.
Most of the 122 House members and 52 senators have been in recess since May 8 to give the budget writers time to work.
Agency directors and school principals want to know how much money they'll have so they can make hiring decisions.