ST. PAUL — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and top lawmakers are still trying to wrap up a budget deal in hopes of avoiding a stalemate that could require a special session.

Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann says negotiations ended for the night around 12:30 or 1 a.m. Thursday and are expected to resume at some point in the afternoon. The governor, House Democrats and Senate Republicans have kept silent on whether they’re resolved any of the big issues of taxes and spending that have been the main hold-ups.

As of Monday, the last time the leaders made substantive comments on the status of the closed-door talks, the two sides were about $1.6 billion apart on a two-year budget that’s expected to total somewhere between $48 billion and $50 billion.