Budget pressure, policy agendas collide ahead of deadline

HARRISBURG (AP) — Toil on a $34 billion budget package in Pennsylvania’s Capitol is barreling into the final week of the fiscal year, as top lawmakers rush to wrap up closed-door budget talks, score some pet victories and send rank-and-filers home for the summer.

The main objective is extending the state’s spending authority for another 12 months, doing it on time and without the sort of long partisan fight that marked the first three years of power-sharing between Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Broad outlines about the package are known, but many details remain under wraps, withheld even from rank-and-file lawmakers.

"This has been one closed-lipped budget," said Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams.

Read more: https://www.pennlive.com/politics/2019/06/budget-pressure-policy-agendas-collide-ahead-of-deadline.html