Pa. Gov. Wolf says he’s sticking to budget deal, amid new GOP demand

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf said today he remains committed to the outlines of a budget deal he had struck with top lawmakers to end a five-month budget stalemate, a day after the House Republican majority revolted and passed a significantly smaller spending plan.

The second collapse of a budget deal in the past month left lawmakers, lobbyists and people in the education and social services communities wondering if the stalemate would stretch into 2016.

Layoffs have mounted in recent weeks as social services agencies have stopped programs in the absence of state aid, while the Philadelphia School District alone has borrowed $525 million.

Wolf also said today that he wouldn’t spend the weekend in New York at the annual Pennsylvania Society festivities, where thousands from the state’s political and business establishments typically gather.

“If there’s no budget, I’m not going to be up in New York,” Wolf told reporters after he showed up for a celebration of the Holiday Wish Program, a volunteer gift drive. “This is where I need to be.”

Asked if he would make more concessions to appease the House GOP, Wolf would only say he is committed to the deal’s framework, declining to answer more questions.

After several districts briefly considered it in September or October, talk among school boards has begun to turn again to closing down, as they face the prospect of taking out new loans to stay open.