HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on Pennsylvania’s budget negotiations (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
A stalemate shows no signs of chipping away over a Pennsylvania state budget that’s badly out of balance and legally questionable.
The House ended its session Tuesday and Republican majority leaders sent rank-and-file members home on the 11th day of the budget stalemate.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf remained out of sight Tuesday, while top lawmakers reported no new efforts to secure agreement on a $2 billion-plus revenue plan that negotiators say is necessary to stitch together the state’s threadbare finances.
Talks appeared to collapse before Wolf let a nearly $32 billion budget bill become law without his signature at midnight Monday. Wolf had unsuccessfully pressed the Republican-controlled Legislature to approve a tax package he deemed to be big enough to avoid a downgrade to Pennsylvania’s bruised credit rating.
House Republican leaders were at odds with Wolf, Democratic lawmakers and Senate Republican leaders over how to patch up the budget hole.
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2:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are back in the Capitol, but without any sign of agreement to fully fund the $32 billion budget bill they passed nearly two weeks ago.
The budget bill became law Tuesday, even though it is badly out of balance and raises questions about its constitutionality.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf let it become law after unsuccessfully pressing the Republican-controlled Legislature to approve a tax package he deems to be big enough to avoid a downgrade to Pennsylvania’s tattered credit rating
Wolf is staying out of sight. His office and top lawmakers are saying nothing about discussions on a $2 billion-plus revenue plan that negotiators say is necessary to stitch together state finances.
Talks appeared to collapse Monday and House Republicans say they’re hearing nothing from their leaders as they debate other budget-related bills.
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7 a.m.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are to return to the Capitol for another session day, but without an agreement to fully fund the $32 billion budget bill they passed nearly two weeks ago and with the threat of a credit downgrade looming to the state’s bruised credit rating.
The budget bill became law Tuesday, even though it is badly out of balance. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf declined to veto the bill as he presses the Republican-controlled Legislature to approve a tax package big enough to avoid a credit downgrade.
Tuesday’s session could be a sidelight to negotiations to hammer out a $2 billion-plus revenue plan that budget negotiators say is necessary to plug a hole in the state’s finances.
Meanwhile, there are questions about the constitutionality of the budget law.
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