HARRISBURG -- Senators were expected back at the Capitol today, three days after they retreated to their districts frustrated that they couldn't loosen the budget logjam.

They are expected to authorize a conference committee for their leaders to negotiate the proposed $27 billion budget with House counterparts and Gov. Ed Rendell.

There has been little progress toward passing a state budget since senators left the Capitol Saturday evening.

The new fiscal year began Sunday, and each day without a budget, the state moves a step closer to a partial government shutdown.

"I don't see the wheels turning fast enough to put things in place by Monday," said House Minority Leader Sam Smith, R-Punxsutawney.

That's when up to 45,000 nonessential workers might be furloughed, and slot machine casinos, state parks and driver's license bureaus might be forced to close because there is no authorization to pay the bills. Emergency, public safety and other essential services would not be affected.

The governor said he isn't afraid to order a shutdown, but Monday is not a firm deadline. A shutdown can be averted if there is a "reasonable expectation" there will be a budget agreement soon, even if it is after Monday, when paycheck processing begins.

Mr. Smith isn't so sure.

"It's questionable to even have people at work today because we're incurring debt for services without having funding in place," he told reporters yesterday. "We don't have any authorization to spend money."

He acknowledged that didn't stop the state in the past four years when the budget was a few days late.

With lawmakers and the governor all digging in their heels, furloughs are more likely this year than in the past, said Chuck Ardo, spokesman for Mr. Rendell.

Lawmakers engaged in more finger-pointing than negotiating yesterday.

House and Senate Republicans blamed the governor for insisting they pass his energy, transportation, health care and biotech-funding plans before he will sign a budget. Mr. Rendell blamed Senate Republicans for orchestrating Friday's adjournment and refusing to give in to his proposed electricity tax, which would cost homeowners an average of $5.40 a year and businesses up to $10,000 a year.

"This dispute is not about the budget; it's about tying the budget to unrelated legislation," said Sen. Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester. "The governor has said he won't consider the budget unless there are sufficient votes to pass the legislative agenda items. That's an improper use of the budget process."

Democrats acknowledge that the budget is the only leverage the governor has to get the Senate to approve his policy agenda, and they say Republicans only want to prevent the governor from gaining political ground.

"There are just too many critical issues facing the commonwealth for political posturing to replace serious legislating," Mr. Ardo said.

Mr. Pileggi, meanwhile, said the budget is the only thing that belongs on the table now.

"We're already on July 2 and we don't have a budget," he said yesterday. "I don't think it's productive or responsible to be talking about anything that doesn't directly have to do with the budget."

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Gibson Armstrong, R-Lancaster, agreed.

"We have yet to talk about the budget in any of these [leadership budget] meetings. We're always talking about all these other issues," Mr. Armstrong said.