We're about to find out what Tom Wolf is made of.
Remember those four years of on-time - if austere - budgets delivered by former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett? They're history.
There's a new sheriff in town. Unfortunately, his posse is controlled by Republicans.
The Democrat Wolf has made clear he wants a huge spike in spending, with much of the money going to education, which suffered under the Corbett administration. In order to get them, he wants to increase the state income and sales taxes, as well as slapping a new extraction tax on natural gas drilling in the state.
That is not exactly music to Republicans' ears.
They're ready to put their own spending plan, which very much resembles the kind of fiscal blueprint Corbett delivered for four years, on the governor's desk.
That's when we'll find out just how serious Wolf is about his new vision for Pennsylvania.
So far he's given no indication that he would sign such a measure. If he vetoes it, it's very likely that the state could be looking at some kind of at least partial shutdown when the clock hits midnight tonight, the deadline for the state to have a spending plan in place.
Yesterday Wolf went so far as to send a letter to state workers and some contractors warning them of a possible shutdown.
Adding to the intrigue in Harrisburg is two other measures being pushed by Republicans - both of which are opposed by Wolf.
One would privatize the sale of wine and liquor in the state, the other would change pension benefits for future state and public school employees.
It's ironic that the privatization battle - which has been talked about for years but consistently gone nowhere - comes on the same day that Wawa is entering the fray. The Delco-based convenience store giant will go before the powers that be in Concord tonight, looking to get the OK to sell beer at their store on Naamans Creek Road. It would be the first time Wawa has sold beer in Pa., although they already sell suds in other states.
Full confession here: Yes, I am the state's foremost proponent of getting Pennsylvania out of the booze business. I have said many times that my position has nothing to do with what I know are some very important factors - whether or not the numbers add up. I know the LCB operations add a ton of revenue to the state's coffers every year, to say nothing of providing a lot of good jobs. My point has always been that the state has no business being in the sale of booze, and that our archaic laws make buying beer and wine ridiculously difficult.
There is a chance that Wolf, who has been clear in his opposition to privatization, may have to bend a bit in order to get what he wants from Republicans who control the Legislature.
If that means privatization arrives in Pennsylvania, I'm all for it.
But I'll also say something else I've said a million times. I'll believe it when I see it.
It's 6:30 a.m. Do you know where your state budget is?
When the clock strikes midnight tonight, will Tom Wolf or Republicans turn into pumpkins.
Or perhaps pumpkin ales.
Stay tuned.
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