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Senate Plans To Pass More Budget Bills, Leaves Capitol

 

The Pennsylvania Senate's Republican leaders say they're going to send more budget-related bills to the House and then leave Harrisburg, with plans to return within six hours if needed.

President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Majority Leader Jake Corman didn't report any concrete progress during a Thursday morning meeting with House Republican majority leaders over how to end a 5-month-old budget stalemate.

But Scarnati says the tenor of their discussions is good as they try to resolve their differences.

Scarnati says the Senate doesn't have immediate plans to pass a $1.2 billion tax increase that senators say will accompany their $30.8 billion spending plan.

House Republicans want a lower spending amount and a smaller tax increase. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf says he's backing the Senate's plan and insists House Republican leaders had agreed to it.

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