PA budget impasse ends after nine months

After a nine-month impasse, Gov. Tom Wolf has relented and said he will not veto a Republican spending package, allowing it to lapse into law on Sunday.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Gov. Wolf said that he will not sign the $6.6 billion no-new-taxes package crafted by Republicans, but he also will not veto it, 6ABC reported. That would allow the package to complete the state’s $30 billion budget.

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“To allow us to move on from the problems that have plagued 2015-16, I am going to allow this bill to become law,” Wolf was quoted by 6ABC.

Facing pressure from Democrats concerned over the possibility of school closures if the state remained without a completed budget, Wolf accepted only half of the boost to public school aid that he was seeking, an Associated Press article reported by CBS3 stated.

“This budget doesn’t work. The math doesn’t work, and that’s a real problem. But we need to keep our commonwealth working,” Wolf was quoted by 6ABC.

Lawmakers will now have to come together to negotiate an election-year budget that should take effect by July 1, the AP report at CBS3 added.

“I’m asking the Legislature to work with me to do the right thing, to work toward a responsible, and balanced, budget in 2016-17,” Wolf was quoted by 6ABC.