2007

The 2007 budget impasse lasted nine days, when it concluded with Governor Ed Rendell and the Republican-controlled state Senate finally agreeing on a $27.17 billion (~$38.5 billion in 2023) budget. Approximately 24,000 state employees, who were considered non-essential, were furloughed for one day during the impasse.^[8]

2008

In 2008, three state employee unions (AFSCME, SEIU Local 668 and FOSCEP) sought a declaration from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that "the Governor's furlough plan is not "legally required" by Article III, Section 24 of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the FLSA, as the Governor's Office has asserted in public statements."^[9] The Governor, Ed Rendell, and Treasurer, Robin Wiessmann, filed a cross-application for summary relief, asking the Court to indicate that paying state employees outside the budget is not allowed by state law.

2009

In 2009, the state had a $3.3 billion (~$4.56 billion in 2023) budget deficit, with twenty-four year term State Rep. Edward G. Staback stating at the time that, "It is probably the worst I have ever seen."^[10] Governor Rendell proposed an increase of 16% in the state's personal income tax and $72 million in cuts to balance the budget.^[11] Republican lawmakers and some Democrats have insisted on there being no new taxes. This disagreement over the state's budget created the impasse.^[12]

Instead of implementing furloughs like previous years, all Pennsylvania state employees were required to continue working through the budget impasse. The majority of these employees will not be paid until after the new budget is adopted.^[12]

During the impasse, almost 16,000 state workers took advantage of low interest loans to provide for expenses while they were without paychecks.^[13]

2014

The first and only budget impasse that occurred during the Tom Corbett administration took place during the negotiations over the 2014-2015 state budget. The fiscal year elapsed without a signed budget, as Corbett withheld his signature from a $29.1 billion budget passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, citing the absence of pension reform.^[14] The impasse ended on July 10, when Corbett ultimately signed the Legislature's budget proposal, which continued to lack pension reform. When signing the budget, the Governor used his line item veto power to cut $65 million, or 20 percent, of the Legislature's operating budget, a move that drew criticism from state lawmakers.^[15]

2015

Governor Tom Wolf vetoed the entire budget in June.^[16] Later in September, Gov. Wolf vetoed a stop gap budget passed by the Republican Legislature stating "Republican leaders passed a stopgap budget that once again sells out the people of Pennsylvania to oil and gas companies and Harrisburg special interests".^[17]

On December 29, 2015, Gov. Wolf signed a $23.4 billion spending plan, which line-item-vetoed more than $6.8 billion from the legislature's second full budget proposal.^[18] Later in March, the $30 billion budget from the Republican-controlled legislature became law when Gov. Wolf announced he would neither sign nor reject the proposal.^[19]