(AP) -- The first five-way meeting over Gov. Andrew Cuomo's hard-times budget is scheduled in Albany.
Thursday's meeting will include the Democratic governor, Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos , Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assembly Republican leader Brian Kolb and Senate Democratic leader John Sampson.
The staffs of rank-and-file lawmakers are also meeting on various aspects of the budget proposal.
The budget is due April 1.
Leaders say they expect to have a deal in place on time and perhaps even earlier than the deadline. Either would be rare for Albany.
Cuomo's budget proposal totals nearly $133 billion. It would cut spending from the current budget by nearly 3 percent.
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