Pa. Lawmakers Still Grappling With Final Budget Plan
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Pennsylvania lawmakers spent another day Friday huddled behind closed doors discussing a budget, but those conversations have still not yet produced a final plan.
Lawmakers are scheduled to continue their discussions through the weekend.
After meeting with House majority colleagues for several hours Friday in the Capitol, Montgomery County Republican Mike Vereb emerged to say that it was a productive discussion about how to raise new revenue to pay for the spending in a new budget.
"I don't think there was any flashpoint in this caucus at all… it think it was a very positive day," Vereb told KYW Newsradio.
But Vereb also says there were no "bold conclusions" that came out of the conversations.
Likewise, the top Republican in the GOP-controlled Senate, Joe Scarnati, said there were no final decisions made by his caucus.
"We haven't finalized nor have come to any [common] ground on any revenue for the budget," Scarnati said.
One new revenue source lawmakers are mulling is extending the state sales tax to some items that aren't currently taxed.
But it remained entirely unclear Friday on how soon final budget legislation could get a vote and end Pennsylvania's five month-plus stalemate.
