Mar 15, 2005 — The state Assembly and Senate will convene a joint conference committee this morning to work on the state budget. The Republican-led Senate began passing budget bills yesterday. The Senate measures lacked the agreement of the Democrat-controlled state Assembly, but the move was considered necessary to get the two chambers working through a conference committee to resolve differences. Republican state senator Betty Little, of Queensbury, says the Senate is moving forward on what she calls a "good budget".