Budget Woes Continue

Pennsylvania's Senate Majority Leader says he's worried the state may be facing an even bigger deficit than expected. The Pennsylvania revenue department collected 1.5 billion dollars in February. That's $116 million less than officials had planed for when the budget was set. Every month this fiscal year has been slower than expected. Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi says he's concerned that is a sign the state's uphill financial battle is getting worse. “The revenues received for February were very depressing, and could easily lead to a conclusion that our revenue shortfall could approach three billion dollars this year” Says Pileggi. A spokesman for Governor Rendell says the administration is still operating on the assumption of a $2.3 billion shortfall. He says the majority of Pennsylvania's tax revenue will be generated over the next few months, so budget officials will have a much better idea of the final deficit in six to eight weeks.