Deadline Looms For Mass. Budget Negotiators

The clock is ticking on Massachusetts state lawmakers as they try to reach agreement on a new state budget.

The current fiscal year ends next Saturday and it's possible that a temporary spending plan would have to be in place when the new fiscal year starts the following day on July 1.

A six-member House-Senate conference committee has been working behind closed doors to try to resolve differences between versions of the budget that were approved by both chambers earlier in the year.

Both spending plans total more than $32 billion and neither seeks any new state taxes.

Despite a lower unemployment rate in Massachusetts and signs of economic recovery, legislative leaders have repeatedly said the state's finances remain tight and called for a conservative approach to the budget.