RICHMOND, Va – Top Virginia legislators say talks about the long-running partisan impasse over updates to the state budget have broken down and negotiators have been sent home.

The leader of the GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee and his Democratic Senate counterpart both confirmed Tuesday that further meetings this week were scuttled.

But their accounts about what transpired differed. Republicans say Democrats backed away from a previously agreed-upon outline of a deal that would have included tax cuts, tax rebates and additional spending on government services.

Democrats say Republicans are refusing to negotiate. Lawmakers have tussled over updates to the spending plan first enacted last year.