The House has rejected the Senate's amendments to the state budget (HB 1416), which pared spending down even more, to $27.1 billion. The vote was 49-150 (I hope to have the precise roll call up shortly, my apologies for the delay). What happens next is anyone's guess. It's likely the Senate will insist on its amendments, which would throw the budget to a "conference committee," whereby each legislative caucus sends representation to haggle a compromise. Senate Rs will send two members, appointed by Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi. Senate Ds will send one member, appointed by Minority Leader Bob Mellow. House Ds will send two members appointed by Majority Leader Todd Eachus. House Rs will send one member appointed by Minority Leader Sam Smith. On the House floor last evening, Eachus said the process would move briskly apace, saying it would be wrapped up "in days." We shall see. The compromise hammered out by the conference committee must be voted upon by the full House and Senate. Key factors to consider: there are purported to be as many as 20 fiscally conservative, aka "blue dog," Democrats who opposed any broad-based tax increases. Senate and House Republicans remain firmly opposed to such tax increases as well. Republicans, even with Democrat defector Lisa Boscola in the Senate and those 20 blue dog Democrats in the House, do not have the two-thirds vote strength required to overrided a Rendell veto. Rendell could, as he did in 2003, employ a line-item veto. Stay tuned...