Key PA Dem: Republican-Style Budget From Democratic Gov

HARRISBURG (CBS) -- Pennsylvania budget hearings opened this past week in what's shaping up to be another unusual budget season.

Democratic Governor Tom Wolf sought and failed to get increases in sales and or income tax rates in his first two budget proposals.

Facing a large deficit, Wolf this year has taken a different tack, relying mostly on savings he hopes to achieve from government consolidation and inefficiencies.

As the House Appropriations Committee began budget hearings, Joe Markosek, the ranking Democrat on the panel, said there is an unsettling feeling of a 'new normal' in the state capitol.

"For example, in this new atmosphere, we're looking at a Republican-style budget proposal from a Democratic governor. That's not normal."

While not calling for broad-based tax hikes, the governor is again seeking a tax on natural gas extraction, a proposal about which Republicans remained unenthusiastic during the first week of budget hearings.