Harrisburg, Pa. - State workers are getting paid again, but so many people, agencies, and vendors are suffering because there's still no budget.

While there have been private budget talks this week, there was nothing formal, like the conference committee sessions we saw a couple of weeks ago.

With little progress, we're told Governor Rendell may ask the committee to reconvene next week, even though he previously suggested it's ineffective.

We're now more than six weeks passed the budget deadline, and people can't believe our state leaders have yet to strike a deal.

"Frankly, I'm stunned because if it was a business, they'd probably all be fired," said Cathy Sabo of Marysville.

Rendell has said the ball is now in lawmakers hands. He's been waiting for them to make a move.

"The legislature and Republican Senate in particular is dragging their feet in coming to the negotiating table with real proposed alternatives to what the governor's put forward," said Steven Crawford, Rendell's Chief of Staff.

"I'm just confused why it's taking them so long to really buckle down, get to the real the facts, what needs to be addressed, the issues at hand," said Christopher Moore, of Mount Joy.

One reason there hasn't been a budget conference committee meeting recently: a major player, House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans, has been unavailable because of a family matter. The Rendell administration said talks could have resumed without Evans.

"The conference committee aside, they could have been at the table discussing various negotiating points," Crawford said.

Budget stalemate aside, it was payday for Republican lawmakers. Their checks include back pay from July, though not everyone's cashing in.

"I made the choice to reject that check and they are just holding it at this point in time," said Rep. Sheryl Delozier, (R) Cumberland County. "I think we need to be focused on the budget not worried who's getting paid and how much everyone is receiving. We need to just solve the problem and finalize the budget."

We're told about half of House Republicans did not accept their checks, including Representative Glenn Grell of Cumberland County. Republican Senator Pat Vance is pledging not to cash her checks until the budget is passed.

"I think it's admirable, the people who refused the checks did so," said Moore. "An example to the rest."

Senate Democrats got paid Friday as well. You may remember, House Democrats were criticized for taking their pay a few weeks ago, before state workers got their checks. The governor's chief of staff says Rendell was paid along with those state workers, and he did accept his pay.

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