Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a budget. More on that in a minute.

It’s a presidential day in Pennsylvania. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney each visit Philadelphia today to bring in as much campaign cash as possible before tonight’s Q2 deadline. Romney plans a second stop – on his way out of town he’ll visit the Allentown Metal Works where Obama boasted about the federal stimulus in 2009… that has since shut down. Wonder if he’ll mention that? Meanwhile, the DNC will seek to preempt Romney’s visit with a conference call starring none other than Governor Rendell.

It promises to be an interesting day and we’ll be on the ground for all the public events. Stay tuned to PoliticsPA and Sy Snyder’s twitter account for updates and observations.

Like we said before, we have a budget. The bill is basically identical to the one passed by the Senate yesterday, and so are the GOP and Dem talking points. Lawmakers will have tomorrow to boast of the first on-time budget in 8 million years. The budget cuts spending for the first time since Grover Cleveland was President and Bud George was only in his third term.

Will Pennsylvania ever move to an open primary system? Reform advocates have been pushing the change for some time, saying it encourages more participation. Critics argue that primaries are for party loyalists, not fair-weather voters. What do you think? (and check out the feature).

And Daily News writer Will Bunch socked it to Governor Corbett yesterday – check out the unflattering headlines that graced the DN cover yesterday.

PoliticsPA Reports

Romney to Raise $$ In Philly, Speak In Allentown
PoliticsPA has obtained a Romney campaign memo about the Governor’s plans tomorrow in Philadelphia, as well as the members of his PA Finance Committee.

Will Pa. Ever See Open Primaries?
The growing transition of voters, according to Eugene DePasquale (D-York), toward third parties “began with Watergate and has been picking up steam ever since.”

Barrett to Run Santorum S.C. Operations
Former Congressman Gresham Barrett (R-SC), from Westminster, will serve as Santorum’s South Carolina Chairman and National Energy Policy Chairman.

Afternoon Budget Rundown: State House Debates Budget
In the day after the state Senate passed a budget plan along party lines, government agencies, state universities, teachers and a raft of advocates have offered their reactions as the state House attempts to ensure that Governor Tom Corbett has the chance to sign the plan into law before the start of the new fiscal year.

Bunch v. Corbett
Daily News writer Will Bunch has two high-profile articles about Governor Corbett today, neither of which is very flattering. Nor is the cover of today’s DN, for that matter.

National
PhillyNow: Philly Anti-War Demonstrators Protest Whatever’s Going On Libya
PhillyNow: Philly Will Take Another Hit If The Federal Debt Ceiling Is Not Raised
PhillyNow: Nader Pissed About Getting Kicked Off 2004 Pa. Ballot? He’s Not Alone
Pennsylvania Ave.: Bills, Bills, Bills
Politico: Rick Santorum: Health care ruling ‘disappointing’
The Times: The Future of Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Measures
Washington Post: Rhode Island Senate passes bill allowing same-sex civil unions; governor says he’ll sign
The Awl: Fun With Maps: Seven Peculiar U.S. Boarders (PA 12th district)

Statewide
Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Pa. House passes $27.15 budget; awaits Corbett’s signature
Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Budget passes house, on its way to governor
Patriot Daily News: Analysis: Pennsylvania budget plan is lean and on time
Independent News: Pennsylvania legislature passes budget with cuts
Fox Philadelphia: Public School Cuts Hit Philly The Hardest
Fox Philadelphia: Pa. May Allow Sunday Hunting
WHYY Newsworks: Gov. Corbett Signs Bill Giving Bars More Flexibility for Happy Hour
Capitol Ideas: Dinner Hour #PaBudget Update: Vouchers Delayed Until Fall
Capitol Ideas: Midday Budget Update: We’re Working On It
Capitol Ideas: Mid-Morning Budget Update
Capitol Ideas: House Passes The #PaBudget: Next Stop Governor’s Desk
Capitol Ideas: Wednesday Morning Coffee: The Final Countdown
Pennsylvania Independent: Senate caucus operations see bump in spending
Pennsylvania Independent: Natural gas impact fee plans dead until fall
Pennsylvania Independent: State budget goes to Corbett, other bills coming
Tribune-Review: Budget Passes House, On Its Way To Governor
CBS: Charles Schumer’s Wall Street Dance
Penn Live: Just Before Pa. Budget Deadline, Gov. Tom Corbett Pushes For School Vouchers
Fox: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett Signs Into Law An Expanded Right of the Use of Deadly Force in Self Defense
The Republic: Corbett, GOP Push Stall In Late Push For Pa. Bill to Expand School Choice, Create Vouchers

Philly
Heard In The Hall: Will City Council Members Say Yea or Nay To Salary Increase?
Fox Philadelphia: Four City Council Members Taking Raises
PhillyNow: Redistricting In The 7th City Council District: How Will Latinos Fare?
Inquirer: Rep. Bob Brady, Others To Rescue Overbrook Youth Team After Equipment Heist
PhillyNow: The City Can’t Decide If Sex Clubs Are Legal
WHYY Newsworks: Legislation Will Likely Bring Independent Safety Monitor Back To Phila. Schools

Philly Suburbs
Pottstown Mercury: Corbett pushes bill that would help children attend private schools
Pottstown Mercury: Union Twp. contemplates outsourcing roads dept.
Philly Burbs: Partisan debate as Pa. budget nears final approval
Philly Burbs: Gov., GOP push stalls on Pa. private-school bill
Daily Times: Chester Upland manages to reduce cuts in budget (With Video)
Daily Times: Pa. set to sweep Delco looking for unlicensed dogs
Montgomery Media: Whitpain board grants subdivision use for Blue Bell parcel WSJ: Ex-Pa. US Rep. Murphy Named to West Point Board
Daily Local: Conservation Groups Support Open-Space Tax Incentive
Philly Burbs: Four Candidates, One View: No Runway
Levittown Patch: Bucks County ‘Chaotic, Haphazard,’ County Commissioner Says

Pittsburgh
Upper St. Clair Patch: Election Candidates to Seek Laughs at Benefit For Children
Pittsburgh Post Gazette: City council considers advertising on bridges
Early Returns: Toomey: don’t ‘break’ internet
Early Returns: A sin and a shame

Southwest
Daily American: Berlin Approves Budget With 2 Percent Tax Increase
Observer-Reporter: SE Greene OKs Budget With No Tax Increase
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Connellsville Area Balances Budget With Fund Balance
Altoona Mirror: Williamsburg Taxes Rising
Beaver County Times: School District Hike Taxes, Make Cuts To Balance Budgets
Beaver County Times: South Side Cuts Positions, Hikes Taxes

Lehigh Valley
WFMZ: Congressman Tours Local Company That Makes Nuclear Equipment
Lehigh Valley Live: Charlie Dent Is Lead Co-Sponsor Of Stem Cell Research Bill, Newspaper Reports
SouthWhitehallPatch: Parkland Officials Name Board Room For Retiring Superintendent
Life News: Bill To Force Embryonic Research Funding Gets New GOP Backer

South Central
The Hill: Lawmaker Seek To Freeze Paychecks, Put End to Automatic Salary Raises

NEPA
AP via Times Leader: Partisan debate as Pa. budget nears final approval
Times Leader: Jermyn mayor takes over for convicted commissioner
Citizens Voice: Leighton, county leaders discuss Sterling’s future
AP via Wayne Independent: Corbett  urges ‘caution’ after bin Laden killing
Wayne Independent: Groups join to protect Delaware River from drilling
Standard Speaker: Senate passes $27.15B plan
The Daily Review: Senate approves budget along party lines
The Daily Review: Rep. Marino co-sponsors bill to overturn Roe v. Wade
Go Lackawanna: Local Legislators evaluate touch choices in Pa. budget
Go Lackawanna: Barletta backs funding for fisheries
Go Lackawanna: State official argues for more funds to keep eye on drilling
AP via Go Lackawanna: Casey asks probe of evac plans for nukes
AP via Go Lackawanna: Natural gas drilling fee is pulled from state house agenda
Times-Tribune: Marino in Europe On Foreign Affairs Trip
Go Lackawanna: Despite funding cuts, state colleges press for passage of budget

Opinions
Baer Growls: It’s All About The Kids
Michael M. Rosen, Politico: Long primary can toughen nominee
Stephen Moore, The Wall Street Journal: ObamaCare Doesn’t Add Up
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: ‘Log rolling’ good & bad
Times Leader Editorial: Stop dithering over gas drilling
Mark Scolforo, Pocono Record: Agenda for Corbett, GOP assembly rates an ‘incomplete’
Standard Speaker Editorial:Judicial conduct board must adopt suggested reforms
York Dispatch, Op-Ed: Support pancreatic cancer research act
Early Returns: Daily Santorum: Cracked rear view
Early Returns: Corbett’s scrubbed bio
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Editorial: The budget: The deficit
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Editorial: Public info