The end date of the Iowa Legislative Session is rapidly approaching.

The deadline for legislative action is Friday, but deadlocks in the Senate are expected to extend the session for at least another week.

Disagreements among the evenly divided members of the Senate about the state’s upcoming budget have stalled progress. If the Senate does not adjourn on time, House members are allowed three days away from the Statehouse before they must come back to iron out the budget.

“We’re still trying to figure out what the available revenues are going to be and whether we are going to raise the tobacco excise tax,” said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City. “Once that’s resolved, I think we’ll be able to come to resolution on virtually all of the budgets.”

Bolkcom said negotiations between Senate floor leaders about the tax are underway, and he expects a new bill to come forward.

The Republican proposal included doubling the 36-cent cigarette tax, which is one of the lowest tax rates in the country. Under the proposal, money generated from increasing the tax would primarily be used for property tax relief.

Bolkcom previously said the bill was expected to be debated this week in the Senate Ways and Means Committee, of which Bolkcom is a co-chairman. Thus far there has been no debate.

“That’s one of those issues where we don’t seem to get any movement one way or the other,” said Senate Ways and Means Committee Co-Chairman Mark Zieman, R-Postville. “They won’t allow the bill to come forward.”

Zieman said although there has been no discussion in committee, he expects an amendment to come from the Senate floor next week.

Sen. Michael Connolly, D-Dubuque, said raising the cigarette tax “may fall off of the table,” which would leave a hole in the Democrats’ budget.

“I do not think that we’ll be able to meet our commitments to education, both at the regents’ level and in K-12, without addressing the revenue side of the ledger,” Connolly said.

He said the Senate has hit a major roadblock with appropriations bills because Republicans believe there is adequate state revenue to cover their priorities. He said there are other incentives for generating more revenue, such as paying back funds that have been drawn from in previous years.

Tim Albrecht, communications director for House Speaker Chris Rants, R-Sioux City, said the House will be working on three appropriations bills that should be agreed upon by Friday.

The economic development appropriations bill, salary bill and standings bill must be passed before the House can adjourn.

Albrecht said members of the House will not discuss increasing the cigarette tax before they adjourn.