More than two weeks past the budget deadline and we're being told there is little progress toward a budget agreement. Lawmakers left for the weekend and they won't be back until Monday. On Wednesday, private meetings led to more finger-pointing. Erin Billups has the latest.

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"We're going to have to exert a greater effort to get this budget done," said Governor David Paterson.

The governor met with Democratic majority leaders earlier in the day behind closed doors.

Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson said, "We're making progress on all the issues."

Especially, Sampson said, talks involving property tax relief and education.

But it's those private meetings that ignited another battle between Senate Republicans and Democrats. The tension reached a fever pitch Wednesday as Democrats tried to hold a bipartisan one-house budget meeting that Republicans refused to attend, saying Democrats repeatedly break the law by not holding public budget committee meetings.

"I think the Republicans not showing up today is the utmost in hypocrisy," Deputy Senate Majority Leader Jeff Klein said.

"They are incapable of leading and what they are capable of doing is press conferences, charades and trying to fool the people of New York," said Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos.

Amid all the partisan bickering and secret meetings the budget picture remains the same.

"We're $3.2 billion apart from the governor," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Earlier in the week Paterson asked lawmakers to stay in session for the rest of the week but leaders say without a deal in sight there's no reason to.

"Just sitting on the floor and doing bills at this point that are not relevant to the budget really doesn't do any purpose," Silver said.

"Our staff is continuing to work. But I'm not going to increase more expenses on the state by keeping my members here," Sampson said.

Lawmakers will be back in session on Monday when they expect to have a clearer revenue picture. By then most New Yorkers will have filed their taxes."

"Anybody that has any hope that there will be more money showing up, we'll know. Yes, no, maybe, we'll stay where we are, or we'll have to make bigger cuts, so we'll know that by Monday," Silver said.

Silver said hopefully within a week or so a budget deal will be reached.