Pennsylvania lawmakers are grappling with the implications of Gov. Tom Wolf’s unexpected decision to balance part of the state budget himself by borrowing against the liquor industry, writes Katie Meyer for whyy.org.

House and Senate members are currently trying to figure out whether Wolf is legally able to do so. Meanwhile, the commonwealth’s short-term cash-flow issues remain unresolved.

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House Republican spokesman Steve Miskin said while most of his caucus prefers borrowing $1.2 billion against Liquor Control Board profits over tax increases, they’re still not sold on the idea.

“There are definitely questions. The main concern is, is it legal and can he unilaterally do it?” Miskin said Monday.

“We don’t think he should,” he added. “If he thinks he’s able to, why hasn’t he done this already? Why did he wait three months, not pay bills, etcetera?”

They don’t have a definitive legal opinion yet.

What it means for the state’s short-term cash problem, at whyy.org.

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