“In divided government, there has to be compromise.” That’s how Republican House Minority Leader Jesse Topper put it after legislators finally passed a budget. We would go even further. Effective governance always requires compromise.

Had more lawmakers understood that earlier, Pennsylvanians could have been spared a lot of misery these past four months. Thousands of Pennsylvania nonprofits, schools, businesses, and residents would have avoided the financial anxiety that forced some to take out loans to pay their bills while lawmakers bickered.

But lawmakers should be applauded for finally seeing the light and agreeing to do as Topper stated — compromise for the good of the whole.

We get it. Neither Republicans nor Democrats think the budget they passed is perfect. Republicans wanted to

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