North Dakota legislators gave the state's college operating budgets a quarter-percent haircut before settling on a plan that includes $468.4 million in state general fund spending over two years.

The bargain on the state university system's spending bill, struck by House and Senate negotiators Tuesday night, helped clear the way for the Legislature's possible adjournment today - after it sets a modern-day record for endurance.

The 2007 Legislature stretches into its 78th day today, two days short of the constitutional maximum and one day longer than the 77-day marathons of 1993 and 2001.

The House and Senate fought Tuesday over competing proposals to make across-the-board reductions in the growth of colleges' operating budgets. House members supported a 1 percent trimming, with savings of $3.7 million.

At a conference committee meeting later, lawmakers quickly settled on a reduction of 0.25 percent, or $924,769, which will be spread across the university system's 11 campuses.

"It's give and take," said Sen. Raymon Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "At some point, you've just got to say, 'OK, here we are.'"

Laura Glatt, the university system's vice chancellor for administrative affairs, said she had not yet examined the reduction's effect.

North Dakota's general fund is financed mostly by state taxes on sales, corporations, income, energy, tobacco and gambling.

The two-year, $468.4 million general fund budget for the state university system represents a 21 percent increase from current spending. It is slightly below Gov. John Hoeven's recommended spending of $470.2 million.