AUGUSTA – Nearly a month after budget legislation was tabled amid disagreement between the House and Senate, Maine lawmakers are trying to revive negotiations back where they began.

Under consideration is an effort to win supermajorities of two-thirds or better in both chambers for a bare-bones spending plan without new taxes that would guarantee the continuation of state programs and services for the July 1 onset of the new two-year budget cycle.

The most contentious budget items, including tax increases on cigarettes and some restaurant meals, would be set aside for consideration in a separate package designed to fund new and expanded services.

Appropriations Committee members, who have already unanimously endorsed one budget plan, would serve as the first sounding board for new proposals.

The co-chairmen of the panel said prospects for success were uncertain, but that anything to advance the stalled talks among various bargainers was worth a try.

“We have offered to attempt to construct a compromise,” said independent Sen. Jill Goldthwait of Bar Harbor. “I don’t quite know the logistics of this.”

Democratic Rep. Randall Berry of Livermore said Appropriations panelists “hopefully hope” that their move to go back and review the building blocks of a budget package would be supported by House and Senate leaders.

“Whatever it takes to get this show on the road,” he said.

On March 28, the House resoundingly endorsed a $5 billion budget bill that had the backing of the Appropriations Committee.

One day later, however, the Senate with only four dissenters approved an alternative that would scrap both tax hikes.

Over the next week or so, the Senate reconfigured its alternative and House negotiators informally offered a number of changes.

But for the most part since early April, budget talks have occurred randomly, whether among House and Senate leaders and or among the Legislature’s rank-and-file.

To date, there remain two bipartisan majorities – one in the House, one in the Senate – supporting conflicting tax-and-spending plans.

“Clearly the budget is an issue, but we’ll get by that,” Democratic Senate President Michael Michaud of East Millinocket said Thursday.

He suggested one thing that might help foster a resolution would be more frequent consultations among House and Senate leaders from both parties.

“We’re trying to reach out to the Senate,” said House Minority Leader Joe Bruno, R-Raymond.

Reinvolving the Appropriations panel would allow all parties to “see what the committee can come up with” in crafting a no-new-tax package, he said.

The King administration has sided with the House in complaining the Senate budget alternatives would excessively deplete various reserve funds.

Top gubernatorial aide Kay Rand said Thursday new committee discussions would be a positive development.

“It’s movement, so that’s good,” she said.