Lawmakers may have resolved Pa. budget dispute

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — It appears Pennsylvania lawmakers are resolving a last-minute dispute over a nonpartisan fiscal oversight office that’s been threatening to blow up the state budget deal.

House Democratic Appropriations spokeswoman Johnna Pro said today the plan is to put a sentence into one of the budget bills that says leaders are committed to trying to pass legislation authorizing the legislative fiscal office in the fall.

The apparent breakthrough comes a day after the disagreement stalled progress on passing all elements of the state budget.

A senior Senate Republican had put a hold on a capital borrowing bill as leverage in hopes of getting the office up and running, but that bill passed out of his committee Friday.

The main budget bill was sent to Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell’s desk on Wednesday, but he won’t sign it until companion bills are passed.