A partisan battle of wills shut down Pennsylvania government in July as the Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Senate could not reach agreement on the budget nine days into the new fiscal year.

• Position: People & Politics - Brief article

Apartisan battle of wills shut down Pennsylvania government in July as the Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Senate could not reach agreement on the budget nine days into the new fiscal year. Some 24,000 state employees were furloughed, as the state museum and state parks shut down and state services were idled. At issue was raising the state's debt ceiling and an energy plan Governor Ed Rendell insisted the legislature pass before he would sign the budget. "We have a $650 million surplus in...