State lawmakers are scheduled to begin meeting Thursday to work out the remaining differences of a budget plan, now more than seven weeks late, after meeting with Gov. Paterson in Albany this morning.

Paterson says that while a state budget plan may be on the horizon, the trick will be cutting funding in some areas without having unintended, negative impacts in other areas.

Paterson called state lawmakers to Albany this afternoon to check up on the progress being made to produce a state budget. While lawmakers still appear to be $2 billion away from a final plan, legislative conference committees may begin working on specifics of a spending plan as early as this week.

The state budget was due April 1 and must account for a potential $9 billion deficit.