Pa. Legislators Extend Talks Over Transportation Funding Bill
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The speaker of the Pennsylvania House now says a vote on legislation to raise new funds for roads, bridges, and mass transit won't happen until next month at the earliest.
For two weeks, state House Republicans were sending out signals that this week was make-or-break for the transportation funding issue -- that if it was not resolved now, it was time to move on to other issues.
But now, citing progress in negotiations, House speaker Sam Smith says transportation will remain alive until mid-November, when lawmakers return to Harrisburg after this week's session.
Smith says even if House Republicans and Democrats had reached an agreement this week, the Senate and the governor still had to be consulted.
"So it wasn't like it was being (put) on the governor's desk this Thursday, even under what I was saying, say, two weeks ago," Smith explained.
So does he feel there's enough promise in the negotiations?
"Yeah. Like I say, everybody's still talking, so far be it from me to stop that," Smith told KYW Newsradio.
Smith says transportation negotiations have now expanded to include Senate Republicans and Democrats.
