Pa. Legislature sends $27.8B budget to Gov. Rendell

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The politically divided Legislature finally signed off on a state budget, resolving a multibillion-dollar, recession-driven shortfall and taking a giant step toward ending Pennsylvania’s 101-day budget stalemate, the nation’s longest this year.

The Senate voted 42-7 to approve the $27.8 billion spending plan and send it to Gov. Ed Rendell’s desk. The vote followed House approval on Wednesday.

The Senate approved the budget without debate moments after signing off on a companion bill to tap more than $1.5 billion from the state’s reserves. That bill still awaited House approval.

Rendell said this morning he would sign the appropriations bill in private, but it was unclear whether he would do so before the House passes the companion bill, which was held up by a House-Senate disagreement this afternoon.