Wolf to present budget aimed at closing a $3 billion gap

HARRISBURG — Gov. Wolf will unveil his vision for the next state budget Tuesday morning, detailing how he intends to close a daunting $3 billion deficit.

In his 11:30 a.m. address to a joint session of the state legislature, the first-term Democratic governor is expected to take a different tack this year: seeking to whittle away at the projected shortfall through efficiencies and cuts rather than a hike in taxes.

Wolf has said he will not ask for raising the state sales or income tax — two proposals that can generate major revenue but which the Republican-controlled legislature has repeatedly said it would reject. Instead, his administration has talked about saving money through consolidating state agencies, closing a state prison and eliminating positions.

Still, the governor's top aides said he intends to seek more money for two of his priorities: public schools and opioid addiction prevention.

But Wolf has largely avoided revealing how he proposes to raise new dollars, saying only that he intends to propose a new tax on natural gas drilling.

His speech will be closely watched. The governor is gearing up for reelection, and already faces a challenger. Republican State Sen. Scott Wagner, a fiscal conservative and self-made millionaire whose unapologetic style has drawn comparisons to President Trump, announced his candidacy last month.

The themes Wolf hits in this year's budget are bound to become fodder in the campaign.