Negotiations resume at the Capitol this week on fixing the state budget deficit.
If a deal is going to be reached, it has to be done soon. That's the view of Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), as lawmakers continue to debate a budget repair bill at the Capitol.
Fitzgerald says there's an opening right now for some type of negotiations to take place.
He says lawmakers from both parties are under pressure to fix a $527 million budget deficit soon so they can return to their districts to campaign for re-election.
However, major differences remain between the Democrat-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled Assembly.
AUDIO: John Colbert reports (MP3 :38)
