UPDATE: The Pre-K-12 education budget conference began at 7 p.m. You can watch it live from the Legislature's website. Get the relevant documents here.

Noticeably absent in the state Capitol on Wednesday: A conference committee on the state's Pre-K-12 education budget.

Several conference committees didn't meet on the first day of budget negotiations. But a Pre-K-12 meeting had been initially scheduled for 8 a.m. Then it was cancelled. And no meetings have been scheduled yet for Thursday, which is striking given the tight deadline lawmakers are on to decide a major chunk of the state budget. 

More here from the Buzz.