Controversy over authorizing more natural gas drilling in State Forests and concerns about taxing small games of chance and arts/cultural attraction tickets have forced House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne) tonight to admit the votes are not there in the House to pass the budget negotiated by the 3 Caucuses and Gov. Rendell.
A planned vote on House Bill 1489 (George-D-Clearfield) authorizing a natural gas severance tax was put on hold pending further budget discussions, but the bill was reported from the House Appropriations Committee and put in position for further action.
It is clear a letter to House Democratic Leadership from 31 House Democrats expressing concerns about more drilling in State Forests late Tuesday got the attention of Leadership, along with concerns about other elements of the negotiated budget package.
House Republicans have maintained they will vote as a block against the budget deal requiring the necessary 102 votes to pass the deal to come from virtually all of the House Democrats.
Senate Republicans, however, said renegotiating those elements of the budget deal would mean putting the process back to square one.
There is a meeting of the 3 Caucuses and Gov. Rendell set for Thursday morning to review the status of the budget deal and potentially talk about changes.
NOTE: One quarter of the fiscal year has now passed.
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