COLUMBIA - Lawmakers wrapped up work in one of the worst budget years in recent history and went home Thursday.

The General Assembly adjourned at 5 p.m. after spending the day anxiously trying to complete work on a number of bills.

The state budget continued to dump bad news on lawmakers even in the final hours of the session.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman told senators that state revenue in May was down $68 million. The state's tax collections had been running about $8 million ahead of estimates, but now the state may be facing a year-end shortfall. Only about $38 million is left in reserve accounts, and "that will be wiped out totally," Leatherman said, adding he was unsure how the state could handle any remaining shortfall.

"It's going to be very difficult to comply with our constitutional mandate for a balanced budget, but we will do that," said Leatherman, R-Florence.

Meanwhile, the Senate failed to pass a bill calling the General Assembly back on June 17 to deal with any vetoes Gov. Mark Sanford issues on the $5.3 billion state budget approved by the legislature Tuesday.

That means legislators won't have a chance to consider vetoes until they return in January. However, Sanford could call the General Assembly back before that, and he said Thursday that he might consider doing so.

"It's a dangerous precedent we're setting," said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston.

Sanford could veto programs that are critical, even eliminate funding for the legislature, McConnell said.

But Senate Minority Leader John Land, D-Clarendon, said the General Assembly does not need to come back for a special session at the expense of taxpayers.

"The Republican governor, the Republican-controlled House, the Republican-controlled Senate didn't finish their work on time," said Land. "They're asking the Democrats to come to their aid to extend the session. If the Republican governor wants to veto something that the Republican House and Republican Senate passed, that's an interfamily fight. Just let them fight."

The fights went on throughout the day. While the House took a lunch break, the Senate was held in filibuster mode. Sen. John Kuhn, R-Charleston, took the floor to hold up a bill that would allow the state to borrow more money for colleges and universities to make $250 million in improvements "during the height of the recession."

Major bills got held up in the Senate, including Public Service Commission reform and a primary seat belt law.

Before the clock struck 5 and the session ended, the House and Senate did manage to reach agreement on a campaign finance reform bill and legislation that would lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers to 0.08 percent.

Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Marlboro, accused Sanford of a lack of leadership during his first six months in office.

Sanford disagreed. "I think you've seen the appropriate level of involvement and leadership. What you don't want to do in a legislatively dominated state is come in day one and say, `You guys don't know what you're doing. Here's how we're doing it.' "