Budget crisis: Resumption of Arizona session special delayed

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Senate has delayed a special session focused on the state's budget troubles that was set to resume on Monday morning.

The Senate put off its floor session as Republicans met with Democrats to try to win votes for two bills reducing spending for K-12 schools and social services provided by the Department of Economic Security.

Senate Minority Leader Jorge Garcia said the talks concern a Democratic senator's desire to give Indian reservation school districts leeway to use federal impact aid money to backfill state funding reductions.

Senate Republicans who tried to pass the package without any Democratic votes came up short on Thursday.

The package would close about a quarter of the state's projected $2 billion midyear budget shortfall.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)