When the leaders talk about reaching a "conceptual agreement" on a budget, it is aides like the finance secretary who have to work out all the details.

Senate Democrats reached a tentative agreement today on a revised budget that would increase military spending and raise taxes to pay for it in the fiscal year 1988.

But with both parties under pressure to reach agreement on a balanced budget this year, it could get another hearing.

"I really think we could reach a billion people a week on maybe a $1 million-a-year budget," he said.

They said that until the constitutional standoff is resolved, it was hard to see how they could reach an agreement on a budget.

In a rare partnership, they have reached preliminary agreement on a $516 million budget with no property tax increases for homeowners.

Financially speaking, the European Union is not as strong as it could have been if we had managed to reach a consensus on a larger budget.

The General Assembly has been in special session since June 6, trying unsuccessfully to reach agreement on a budget.

"There comes a time when all sides have to reach agreement on a budget; they don't want to acknowledge that," said Mr. Marino.

The legislature reached agreement on a budget in late July.