Deadline nears for passage of Pennsylvania budget
Pennsylvania lawmakers are running out of time to reach a deal for the state budget.
The deadline is midnight.
Pennsylvania Senate Republicans have signaled it is unlikely they will reach a deal by that time.
The state Senate has already scheduled sessions for the weekend.
The governor's office says there is no immediate risk of a government shutdown.
As negotiations continue between Republican lawmakers working on writing the budget and Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration, a major impasse has been how much new funding to put into schools.
Gov. Tom Wolf has asked for $1.8 billion for schools and special education. House and Senate GOP leadership have indicated they'll find some middle ground but won't fund the entire amount.
Advocates for additional public school funding have said many districts that are smaller or in more urban areas are forced to rely on raising taxes.
"When you do that, you put enormous burden on local communities and local school districts. You get high property taxes, and you get enormous education inequity. And that's what we see all over the state," said Marc Stier, with the PA Budget and Policy Center.
Discussions have also involved using federal COVID-19 relief dollars to help with property tax relief for seniors.
The governor's proposal to provide payments of up to $2,000 to some Pennsylvania households is not going to happen, according to Republicans budget writers.