The North Carolina legislature agreed on a deal Thursday that would keep the government running with no budget in place and no deadline to make one.

The general assembly again passed a resolution that will limit state spending to no more than 84 percent of what was approved in last year's $21 billion budget.

Legislators put no expiration date on the governor's spending responsibility.

Lawmakers thought they had a deal on a new budget last week, but Governor Perdue did not approve of the new fees and taxes.

Finance committee members are trying to come up with $990 million to make up for the budget shortfall of the $18 billion the appropriations committee says it needs.

Lawmakers said they are just $40 or $50 million away from meeting that goal.

"Baby's almost here," said State Rep. Jennifer Weiss. "We're not ready to name it yet. I don't know how pretty it's gonna be, but it's coming."

The saga of the overdue budget in North Carolina could be coming to a close.

"You get me the tax package today, we can get a bill to the floor Monday night and begin voting on it and begin to close up session," Senator Linda Garrou said. "It's time."

It's more than a month past its deadline, but legislators think they may have come up with a plan that will satisfy a governor who has already rejected one of their budgets.

"We've certainly made some changes in her direction," Representative Hugh Holliman said. "We hope that that will be sufficient."

This new plan raises sin taxes and has a one penny sales tax increase, but instead of an across the board income tax surcharge, this time lawmakers are targeting wealthier North Carolinians.

"The surcharge that we are looking at is only on families making more than $100,000," Representative Paul Luebke said. "That is just 13 percent of North Carolinians."

Some Republican lawmakers say the budget does not have to include increases at all.

"Our position all along has been that the state -- just like small businesses, just like families -- would need to tighten its belt," Senator Phil Berger said.

Though lawmakers think they are close to making a deal, Gov. Perdue could say "no" once again.

"There is no deal in my mind until there is a deal on the finance as well as appropriations," Perdue said.