State legislators are working down to the wire on combating the nearly $8 billion deficit and approving a budget for the next two fiscal years.

Lawmakers say they intended to pass a budget early in the session, but state Rep. Chris Perone (D-Norwalk) says they will likely miss the June 3 deadline and go into a special session. Perone believes there will be a budget agreement before the session adjourns, but improvements and modifications could come later.

Also on the table are the multimillion-dollar deficit from this fiscal year and another mitigation package, which is expected this week.

Gov. Jodi Rell met with lawmakers Monday to discuss the looming budget and deficits. Rell believes more cuts are the inevitable answer and has called upon Democrats to make significant changes.

"I still say we need to make more cuts," Rell says. "They are going to be difficult. They will be painful and no one's going to like to make any of the cuts, but we have to do it."