With the deadline looming, PA Senate to convene late-night budget vote

State Senate sources have told City&State PA that the chamber will convene an unusual, late-night Appropriations Committee meeting to fast-track a vote on the spending portion of the state budget. 

The committee meeting will reportedly take place at 9 p.m. on Thursday night, ahead of a full vote tomorrow. 

Republican state Sen. John Rafferty (Montgomery) confirmed that he had heard similar details. An afternoon Senate email stated the meeting would be held “later today,” noting that the budget process was still “fluid.” 

Previous years have seen the budgeting process drag on for months. But with elections on the 2018 horizon, legislators and Gov. Tom Wolf have said they are determined to avoid another lengthy stalemate.

Yet even with an extraordinary committee meeting, sources told City&State PA today that the more crucial revenue portion of the budget was still up in the air, less than a day out from a budget deadline. Few plans for new sources of revenue to patch a growing deficit have won broad support. 

Reports have indicated that this year’s budget will likely be papered over with borrowing, pushing tough, long-term questions about government revenue into 2018.