JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (MissouriNet) — Democrats could continue to slow down business in the state Senate, but their leader doesn’t believe that will extend to work on the budget.

Senate Democrat leader Joe Keaveny (St. Louis) doesn’t know how long his caucus will continue tactics to slow down debate in the Senate. He says there is a lot of tension after Republicans forced an end to their filibuster last week on a measure to ask voters whether to block penalties for churches and businesses that refuse to participate in same-sex marriages.

Keaveny doesn’t expect any effort to slow down work on the state budget proposal, though, even though getting it out early is a priority for Republicans.

“The budget’s going to have its own challenges. I don’t see us holding the budget hostage because of the outcome of this,” said Keaveny after the Senate voted to send that proposed amendment to the state Constitution to the House. “The budget’s going to be pretty hard to deal with on its own.”

Republicans want to finish the budget early enough to be able to overturn any vetoes or restrictions Governor Nixon makes in it, before the session’s end in May.

The Senate is beginning work this week on the House’s $ 27.1-billion budget proposal.