HARRISBURG — Negotiations over taxing the extraction of natural gas from Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania on Wednesday gave Gov. Ed Rendell new hope that an agreement was possible, but the state's top-ranking senator took a hard line, insisting on concessions from Democrats.

Rendell's outlook was a surprising reversal from a day earlier when he said talks over slapping a severance tax on shale gas production seemed stuck in acrimony.

After a lunchtime meeting with senior lawmakers at his official residence, Rendell said he sensed a consensus to do whatever it may take to reach agreement before the Nov. 2 election, including calling rank-and-file legislators back to Harrisburg to vote.

"Color me optimistic today, as opposed to yesterday. The attitude was great today," Rendell said. "It's not to say we're there, but we're a lot closer than we were."

But Senate President Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, seemed mystified by Rendell's change in tune and said he had simply restated the GOP majority's position to Rendell.

He called Rendell's suggestion of a compromise tax rate beginning at 3 percent still too high, even though Rendell claimed to have solid statewide support behind it. And Scarnati insisted that any approval of a new tax be accompanied by a number of concessions by House Democrats, including establishing a new independent office that analyzes the state government's fiscal situation.

"I feel like the guy who's always throwing cold water on this," Scarnati said. "But I really don't see a whole lot changed from yesterday, other than I think the governor was just anticipating us to walk in (to the meeting) and say, 'We're done, it's over."'

Scarnati said his caucus continues to be willing to negotiate in good faith and to listen to proposals from the outgoing Democratic governor and leaders of the Democratic-controlled House.