Voting Begins On New State Budget

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania lawmakers are grinding through votes to finalize a budget deal that took nearly two weeks into the new fiscal year to reach. The $47.6 billion plan under consideration Thursday represents a 6% increase. Most of the new money is going toward public schools, services for adults with intellectual disabilities and nursing home care for the poor. Hundreds of pages of budget-related legislation are just becoming public and could reach Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk by late Thursday. The plan doesn’t increase sales or income tax rates. It will require some of the state’s surplus cash to balance. Shapiro had initially sought a 7% increase.