The first day of the Legislature's special session started Monday much like the last one ended -- with Democrats still far apart on how to close a projected $2.8 billion budget shortfall.

The Legislature ended its regular 60-day session last Thursday without balancing the state budget.

Gov. Chris Gregoire called a special session this week to finish the job, urging lawmakers to wrap up their work by Sunday. But Democratic leaders in the House and Senate said their members still seem stuck on whether to increase the state sales tax to help close the budget gap.

The Senate has proposed a tax package that includes a temporary three-tenths of a cent increase in the state sales tax. The House says it doesn't have the votes to pass a sales tax.

The question is: Who will blink first?

House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said negotiators have narrowed the gap of how much money they want to raise through taxes, with both sides now roughly around the $800 million mark. They just have to agree to the same mix of taxes.

Assuming that can be done, agreeing to a budget that closes the shortfall through a mix of taxes, cuts and one-time fixes such as reserves and federal aid, should be fairly easy, said Sen. Ed Murray, the lead tax negotiator for Senate Democrats.

"I think the fact we're here and the fact we're working means we'll get out sooner than later," he said.

The governor on Monday said she's working with Democratic leaders to develop a proposal, without a sales tax, that can clear both the House and Senate. "I think we can show there is such a package, that will meet their needs in terms of a budget," Gregoire said.

For now though, "I don't think there's enough votes in the Senate without one (a sales tax) and I don't think there are enough votes in the House with one," she said.