JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi lawmakers are considering early versions of budget bills, with much more work to come in the next few weeks.

The state fiscal year begins July 1, and the overall state-funded portion of the budget is expected to be nearly $6 billion. That would be slightly smaller than the budget for the current year.

The House passed more than 50 budget bills Tuesday, and those will go to the Senate for more discussion.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also passed a long list of budget bills for various agencies. Those move to the full Senate, and will then go to the House.

Leaders from the House and Senate typically work out final versions of budget bills at the end of a three-month session. The deadline is in late March.

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