Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan said moments ago that a conference committee comprised of three members from each house is being considered to move the budget compromise between the Assembly and Senate.

A six-person committee would not require a joint resolution, as a four-person committee would, and could be formed by order of the presiding officers in each house.

"We're exploring that, sure," Sheridan said of the possibility of a three-person conference committee.

Sheridan said he and Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker have had "informal conversations about the lay of the land." He said if a compromise on the full budget can't be reached in the next day or two, a special session will be called to take up budget items of immediate importance.

Gov. Jim Doyle said yesterday that the state will "lose a significant amount" of federal funding, particularly in the Medicaid program, if the budget isn't done by July 1.

"We have a couple things that have got to be done by the end of the month," he said.

-- By Greg Bump