State Lawmakers Punt Budget Decisions

At the state Capitol, the House and the Senate met until past midnight before beginning a two-week summer break.  Much of the day and the evening were spent debating the budget. Nothing was resolved, and the discussions mostly outlined the stark differences in how Republicans and Democrats would address the state's budget crisis. Republicans are calling for much bigger cuts than Democrats say they can accept.

Now the Legislature is on a two-week summer break. Meanwhile, schools, hospitals and universities that rely on taxpayer funding wonder what fate awaits them when the state finally adopts a spending plan.