The state budget deficit is topping $1 billion and forcing officials to select among unpopular options – ranging from spending cuts to new taxes – for the second year in a row.

Gov. Ed Rendell outlined a list of options Monday to plug a revenue gap that has doubled since he proposed a $29 billion budget for fiscal 2010-11 in February, thereby making a balanced budget more difficult to achieve. The governor included additional furloughs of state employees and new taxes on natural gas production and smokeless tobacco and cigars on that list.

“I will work with the Legislature to revise the budget I presented,” said Mr. Rendell. “There are no good choices.”

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