State budget negotiations have entered the "Conference Committee" phase. In a Conference Committee, House and Senate leaders meet to form a compromise they believe can gather the support of a majority of rank-and-file Representatives and Senators. The Conference Committee comprises: Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, Senate Appopriations Committee Majority Chairman Jake Corman, Senate Appropriations Committee Minority Chairman Jay Costa, House Minority Leader Samuel Smith, House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, and House Appropriations Committee Majority Chairman Dwight Evans. The Conference Committee will be meeting at 9 a.m. this morning. For the first time ever, the budget Conference Committee meetings are open to the press and public, which is by itself no small victory for taxpayers. You can watch the Conference Committee meetings on PCN (click here).