Gov. Wolf defends compromise deal as one Pennsylvanians will like

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is defending elements of a deal still being negotiated with Republican legislative majority leaders to end a state government budget stalemate now in its fifth month.

The first-term Democrat said today that Pennsylvanians will like it, despite concessions he is making to Republicans.

He’s acknowledging, however, that he’s securing about half the amount of school property-tax reductions he had originally sought. Meanwhile, the proposed property-tax cut would be financed by an increase in the sales tax, which Democrats complain is the tax that hits the poor the hardest.

But Wolf is billing the deal as delivering a record increase for public schools and the first substantial school property tax cuts. Republicans resisted Wolf’s efforts to also raise taxes on personal income and Marcellus Shale natural gas production.