Topeka ? The look of exasperation on Sen. Les Donovan’s face was visible when, at the end of another unproductive committee meeting, he called the debate to an end.

Sens. Les Donovan, left, R-Wichita, and Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, the chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate tax committee, both expressed frustration Thursday at the lack of progress in the 2015 session.

“Committee, obviously we are going down a dead-end street. We’re adjourned,” said Donovan, R-Wichita, who chairs the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee.

Donovan had hoped the committee would vote to move a tax bill to the full Senate, knowing there would be many more opportunities for discussion and amendments by the full body. But instead, committee members spent the meeting removing portions of the bill they didn’t like, and the motion to advance the bill to the full Senate never came.

That leaves the Senate no closer to solving the state’s looming $406 million budget hole.

Saturday will mark the 90th day of the 2015 session — the traditional deadline for lawmakers to finish their work. But leaders in both chambers already have resigned themselves that it could take at least another week before the Legislature can adjourn.

Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, the ranking Democrat on the panel, was equally frustrated.

“From what I’ve witnessed this week in Senate Tax, I’m not convinced that Senate leadership has a strategy to get out of here,” he said. “The governor has shown no leadership on this. Legislative leadership had no plan coming into this session to address this issue. This issue has been around for months.”

Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, agreed.

“Obviously everyone knew when we came that the real work was to look at the budget and revenue,” she said. “And I think we’re now discovering it’s very hard to get revenue proposals out of some of the committees for debate.”

The $406 million “budget gap” figure refers to the difference between the $6.4 billion spending plan that has tentatively been approved and is sitting in a House-Senate conference committee, and the amount of money the state currently expects to have available next year.

So far, neither chamber has voted on the negotiated spending plan. And neither chamber has yet put a comprehensive tax bill to raise the necessary revenue on the floor for a vote.

That is likely to change Friday when the House makes the first attempt to pass a tax plan. It would rely mainly on increases in sales taxes to fill the gap.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and many conservatives say they prefer such a “consumption” tax instead of income taxes, which have been cut dramatically during the Brownback administration. But Democrats, and even many Republicans, who now say those tax cuts went too far, say increasing sales taxes would fall hardest on people with lower incomes.

House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey, R-Louisburg, who is known for his ability to count votes accurately before running a bill, said Thursday that he still doesn’t know how Friday’s vote will go.

“Republicans, I don’t know that we are proficient at raising taxes,” he said. “It’s a new experience for many of our members. It’s something that we have to work through.”

Rep. Tom Sloan, a moderate Republican from Lawrence, said he also was frustrated with the lack of progress by the 88th day of the session, saying the House leadership, “has no exit strategy.”

GOP leaders in both chambers say they do have an exit strategy, but concede it will take more time.

Both Vickrey and Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce, R-Hutchinson, said it may take a number of votes before the chambers get a sense of what kind of tax package can get a majority of votes. Only when a tax bill passes, they said, can they revisit the budget and make the adjustments necessary to balance it.

“That’s where we are. It’s an intentional position to be in. But taxes, right now, are going to slow us down a bit as we look at some very complicated issues,” Bruce said. “It’s going to take some time to do. We’ve got a few more days before we come up with a Senate position.”

Bruce said the Senate does not plan to conduct any business Friday. Instead, most members will spend their time watching for the outcome of the House vote.

Both chambers plan to adjourn for the weekend and return to the Statehouse Monday for the 92nd day of the session.