It appears Pennsylvania lawmakers are once again going to miss the deadline to approve a new state budget.

The fiscal year ends Friday. Conventional wisdom around Harrisburg was that given the backlash over last year’s now-repealed pay raise -- passed in the middle of the night just after a seven-day overdue budget was approved -- that the heat was on to deliver a budget on time and by light of day.

 

Despite word on Wednesday that negotiators had reached a tentative deal on a new budget, Governor Rendell -- speaking at a news conference on the flooding situation in the state -- said Thursday that details of the spending plan were not yet ready:

“The only thing I can say on the budget is we’re continuing to work, and it is not final, by any means, yet.”

While there were no indications Thursday that the process was breaking down, there were also no indications that lawmakers were going to break with the recent pattern of spending some or all of the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the Capitol.

 

A vote before Saturday appeared unlikely.