While negotiators this week successfully concluded a debt bailout plan for Greece and a nuclear weapons control agreement with Iran and six other world powers, Senate and House Republicans and Gov. Wolf failed to make any progress on negotiating a new state budget, a liquor privatization deal or a pension bailout.

As one article this week put it, the Capitol has “ground to a lull” in budget discussions.

Gov. Wolf took his “Schools That Teach” tour into Senate GOP Leader Jake Corman’s backyard this week to stomp for more funding for education.  Somehow, the Governor forgot to tell Sen. Corman he was coming.

“I’ve been as honest as I can [about budget discussions],” Sen. Corman told the media on budget negotiations, “but if [the Governor] is going to continue on the campaign he’s on, we have to talk about our needs [to the media].

The Senate was in voting session this week for two days, but canceled a third, adjourning, again, until September 21.

The House is scheduled to come into session next week for two days.

NewsClips:

Wolf, GOP Leaders To Resume Budget Talks Tuesday

Corman: Shale Tax May Be Considered With Offsetting Legislation

Senate Republican Leader Isn’t Ruling Out Severance Tax

Wolf Stunned By GOP Leader’s Shale Tax Stance

Severance Tax Foes Dig In As Low Gas Prices Persist

Wolf’s Allies Duel Gas Industry On Budget

GOP Lawmaker Proposes Income Tax Increase, Severance Tax

Bucks Lawmaker Tries Solitary Path To Budget Deal

Public Being Misled On Proposed Use Of Severance Tax

Op-Ed: Wolf Right To Push For Severance Tax

Op-Ed: Gas Extraction Tax Fair To Drillers, Pennsylvanians

Veto Override Tough Proposition For GOP In Budget Impasse

Capitol Grinds To A Lull As Budget Impasse Continues

Nothing New In Budget Negotiations Wolf Spokesman Says

PA’s History Of Blown Budget Deadlines

Amid Budget Impasse, Wolf May Lose McGinty

Who Could Replace McGinty As Chief Of Staff?

7/20/2015