Budget update

Pa. budget this week seems unlikely

York Daily Record by Marc Levy, Associated Press7:20 p.m. EST November 30, 2015

HARRISBURG — Talks between Gov. Tom Wolf and top lawmakers continued Monday as the Thanksgiving break ended, but there was scant detail and a lot of silence about how they intended to end a five-month-old budget stalemate.  Lawmakers were not in voting sessions Monday as aides continued to meet to reach consensus on a sprawling budget package. It also seemed certain that lawmakers would not be ready to put a budget package on Wolf's desk by Friday, as he had requested a week ago.  "We just have to work through one issue after another, but certainly there are a number of unresolved issues, some very small, some very consequential," said Drew Crompton, a top aide to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson.  Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, told Republican senators in a Monday memo that a Wednesday voting session was canceled because "we will not be ready to begin budget deliberations and voting."  The House was to resume session Tuesday.

The first-term Democratic governor and leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature are saying little about their talks, including where they will find the money to narrow a long-term budget deficit and pay for a big boost in education spending sought by Wolf.