Published December 04. 2015 05:35AM
HARRISBURG (AP) - Both the Pennsylvania House and Senate are planning to hold voting session days through the weekend as lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf's administration battle behind closed doors over a 5-months-late package of budget legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman told rank-and-file senators Wednesday night that voting sessions are scheduled every day Friday through Wednesday.The prolonged budget impasse has forced school districts, counties and social and human services organizations to shutter services, lay off employees, put off bills or go into debt to survive.Early childhood centers certified under Pennsylvania's state-subsidized pre-kindergarten program are closing, leaving out more than 500 children.Lawmakers are fighting over differences in legislation to expand the state sales tax, overhaul the state's pension systems, liberalize the sale of alcoholic beverages and distribute state aid to school districts.