Pa. Senate Leader: 'Impasse' In Budget Talks
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa., (CBS) -- Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Governor Tom Wolf have met twice in as many days to discuss the budget, producing no discernible progress as Pennsylvania begins its second week without a spending plan.
After meeting with Governor Wolf for less than an hour Tuesday, Republican Jake Corman, the Senate majority leader, claimed the hold-up is the governor's proposal to increase the sales and income taxes to support state spending.
"I think we're at an impasse. As long as he's holding on to the desire for an income and sales tax [increase], which we don't believe is necessary, there's sort of no middle ground there."
Wolf's spokesman Jeff Sheridan says the GOP numbers just don't work and blames the status of budget talks on that.
"The Republicans are right… they're not going anywhere because they are continuing to refuse to accept basic math."
Sheridan says the governor is open to discussions about ways to eliminate a structural budget deficit, but says it can't be through gimmicks and one-time revenue sources.
