Clock Is Ticking For Corbett's Agenda

By Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - It looks increasingly as if many of Governor Corbett's ambitious agenda items will have to wait until next year if they are to get done.

As state lawmakers return to the capitol today for the final session weeks of the year, they find themselves staring down the barrel of a gun called congressional reapportionment. As a major, contentious agenda item that must get done, reapportionment lessens the chance for action on other big ticket items on the governor's agenda.

Last week, Corbett refused to run up the white flag, "I can't conduct their calendar. I can conduct mine – my calendar is open for as many days as we absolutely need to have to get it done."

But legislative insiders say they believe there's less than a 50-50 chance that bills dealing with natural gas drilling and school tuition vouchers will get to the governor's desk by year's end. Those issues, along with liquor store privatization and transportation funding, would get pushed into an election year making chances for action even dicier.

The governor refused to concede that, saying, "I'm here, willing, ready to work with them in talking with them. I think there are enough days that are left – we'll see what happens."