In recent years the nation’s largest and highest-paid state legislative body, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has established a reputation for epic campaigns of fiscal foot-dragging. Woefully late budgets have become the norm — even this year, when the appearance of a budget was adopted on time.

Yet again, an entire quarter of the fiscal year has slipped by without an practical budget in place. Technically speaking, a $32 billion budget passed June 30. But without a companion spending bill, it’s about as useful as a new car without a motor.

For the past three months, Republicans, who control both chambers of the legislature, have been haggling with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf over various schemes to plug a $3 billion deficit in their proposed spending plan.

The latest GOP proposal failed Wednesday. It would have patched the revenue gap by nearly doubling the state’s 6 percent hotel tax to 11 percent. If it had passed, it would have given Philadelphia and Pittsburgh the nation’s highest hotel taxes when combined with local hotel taxes.

Tourism and hotel advocacy groups resisted, saying they’d lose conventions and other business.

Republicans previously rejected a new tax on Marcellus gas well production and a proposed tax on commercial warehousing.

Wolf responded with a plan of his own. He says he’ll take immediate steps to borrow against future profits from the state-controlled liquor control system to help bridge the spending gap.

Wolf said his scheme will raise about $1.2 billion. He acknowledged that’s less than half of what’s needed, but the governor said he’ll manage the state’s workforce and costs to the best of his ability to save money, while suggesting other spending cuts.

The resulting retort was predictable: Republican House Majority Leader Dave Reed accused Wolf of covering for Democrats’ “inability to get anything done.” Reed grumbled as the GOP-controlled legislature was packing up to go home, not returning to Harrisburg until next week.

Wolf says he’s tired of waiting on the legislature to do its job. Most Pennsylvanians are just tired of gridlock in Harrisburg. We’re hopeful that the shake-up produces something beneficial.