Some North Dakota lawmakers will be spending a spring weekend in the darkened state Capitol as the Legislature trudges toward its final adjournment.

Legislative conference committees, which include three House members and three senators, scheduled more than a dozen meetings today to work out differences in the House and Senate versions of bills as they prepared for the session's end.

Rep. Rick Berg, R-Fargo, the House majority leader, said late Friday that 23 conference committees had yet to reach agreements. The Senate Republican majority leader, Bob Stenehjem, of Bismarck, said conference committees that did not settle their differences today would be scheduled for Sunday meetings.

"Generally, no one in here listens to me," Stenehjem said Friday before describing the Legislature's weekend work plans. "But they might want to listen this time."

Berg and Sen. Randy Christmann, R-Hazen, the Senate assistant majority leader, said today would be a normal work day and dress codes would be enforced. A good-natured plea by Rep. Bob Skarphol, R-Tioga, that he not be required to wear a tie was turned down.

"We need to remember (Saturday) is not jeans day, it's not casual Saturday, and it's not just come in and work on your e-mails a little bit," Christmann told senators.

Friday was the 75th day of the 2007 Legislature. The North Dakota Constitution limits the session to 80 days, and the modern-day record for session length is 77 days.

Among the bills still in conference committee are the Legislature's biggest budgets - for human services, elementary and secondary education, human services and transportation.

A bill to provide property tax discounts and income tax cuts is pending, as is legislation to overhaul how North Dakota distributes state aid to local schools.

The weekend work days won't count toward the constitution's legislative maximum of 80 days. For a day to count as a legislative work day, either the Senate or the House needs to hold a floor session, and legislative leaders said none were planned today or Sunday.