Opinion-Talk About

BELLEFONTE — With the state budget stalemate continuing into its fourth month, Centre County commissioners said Tuesday they are quickly reaching the point where they will have to tap a $15 million line of credit to keep the county government running.

STATE COLLEGE — Common Cause of Pennsylvania’s Sara Steelman told a group of concerned citizens Monday that state lawmakers should be fined and their per diem pay forfeited in the future if they don’t pass a budget by June 30.

Supervisor and council candidates in Centre Region townships say they’re worried the state budget crisis will undermine their own budgets by draining the tax revenue well dry.

The strains and stresses on the proposed $27.9 billion state budget package reached a breaking point Thursday.

Members of the state House met behind closed doors on Tuesday to hear details of the $27.9 billion agreed-to budget plan and there were signs of turbulence ahead in bringing this package to Gov. Ed Rendell’s desk.

As the recession grinds on, more Pennsylvanians find themselves uninsured.

Add doctors and hospitals to the list of those of who feel the state budget is being balanced at their expense.

Taxing all tobacco products might have seemed an easy decision in a year where everything that could raise a buck for state government was on the table.

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, but Pennsylvania might soon be the land of 10,000 new casino jobs.

Penn State, public schools and pre-kindergarten will all fare well in the state budget package that's expected to bring an end to a nearly three-month impasse.

Sarah Larsen, director of St. John’s preschool in Millheim, understands why some of the staff have started looking for other jobs.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania legislative leaders outlined the broad terms of a state budget deal Friday that includes higher business and cigarette taxes, as well as revenue from legalized table games in casinos and more drilling for gas in state forests.

BELLEFONTE — A social service office that handled assistance requests from more than 1,400 households in Centre County last year closed Tuesday because of this year's state budget impasse, agency and county officials said.

Perhaps you wonder, as I do, why Pennsylvania’s rank-and-file legislators can‘t demand a compromise on this budget impasse that is causing pain throughout the state.

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State is starting the school year without $83.6 million that it normally would have received by now if the state had a budget.