AUGUSTA (AP) – Legislative budget negotiators have been whittling away their differences in committee, but it remained unclear if their rank-and-file colleagues would let them close a deal.

After negotiations within the Appropriations Committee derailed Wednesday night, Democratic and Republican leaders from the Senate and House of Representatives sought to regroup.

Committee bargainers zeroed in an accord Thursday night – one that would include at least one still controversial and perhaps unfinished component: school system consolidation.

That issue, worth $36.5 million, continues to divide lawmakers of all stripes.

Other financial items – a $15 million disagreement over new cuts in Medicaid coverage for low-income single people, another $15 million argument over so-called government efficiencies and a push by Republicans for new curbs on state employee health insurance – remained on the table heading into another night of talks.

But the pessimism of one night before had given way to optimism.

“I think it’s going to happen, tonight or tomorrow night,” said Assistant House Majority leader Sean Faircloth, D-Bangor.

“A lot of progress has been made, but we’re down to the major remaining issues,” said Assistant Senate Minority Leader Richard Rosen, R-Bucksport.

Participants said final details could be reviewed Friday.

A prospective deal was being cobbled together without a key element in Democratic Gov. John Baldacci’s original $6.4 billion package – a $136 million hike in tobacco taxes including an additional one-dollar levy on a pack of cigarettes.

Democrats this week variously described a substantial cigarette tax boost as “comatose” and “dead-ish.” Rosen said Thursday, “I have to say, they haven’t been pressing it hard.”

To show the depth of spending cutbacks already put forth, Baldacci administration officials, meanwhile, outlined $130 million to $140 million in savings that had been proposed within the state Department of Health and Human Services.

On school system consolidation, legislators are looking for a way to revise Baldacci’s original proposal to establish 26 regional units, a significant reduction from Maine’s current 152 school administrative systems.

Also in his original biennial budget package, Baldacci proposed boosting the present cigarette tax of $2 per pack – one of the nation’s highest – to $3.

Also under consideration are higher taxes on smokeless and pipe tobacco as well as cigars.

Budgeteers most recently have been hoping to wrap up their deliberations before the Memorial Day weekend.

A gathering of House Republicans on Wednesday night “was very clear in reaffirming” rank-and-file GOP insistence on a budget that would abide by spending limits and do without new sources of revenue, Rosen said.

Democrats note routinely that Republican support will be needed to pass a comprehensive spending measure for the two-year budget cycle that begins July 1 by the requisite two-thirds House and Senate majorities.

AP-ES-05-24-07 2017EDT