Rendell Willing To Sign Skeleton Budget
Stalemate In 5th Week; Workers Face Payless Friday
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Gov. Ed Rendell says he may sign legislation as early as next week that will allow state employees and some vendors to be paid a few days later.
Rendell said during a 1:30 p.m. news conference Wednesday that he will take action if a joint House-Senate committee makes no substantial progress toward breaking a five-week-old budget stalemate.
The legislation Rendell wants to sign must be passed first by the House.
Rendell's plan would leave in limbo billions of dollars for education, health care, universities, human services and more while negotiations continue toward a full-year budget agreement.
The announcement came on the same day a new committee began meeting for the first time in hopes of breaking the budget stalemate.
On Tuesday, state workers showed their anger over the budget impasse at a Harrisburg rally.
This Friday, 33,000 state workers face the potential of receiving no paycheck.
Two weeks ago, those workers received only partial pay thanks to the budget problems.
