A totally fixable budget impasse involving a potential presidential candidate

It’s also worth noting that lawmakers will hear increased criticism if a stalemate drags into the dog days of summer, as state programs start to run out of money, school districts start to cry for help, and county governments, many controlled by Republicans, sound the alarm.

But even if Shapiro’s approval numbers dip further, the odds are that he’s unlikely to suffer a long-term political price. Both Rendell and Wolf, each battered by bruising budget battles, respectively cruised to re-election in 2006 and 2018.

What’s Next: Well, "The Witcher" is taking a bit of a mid-season breather and will return July 27. And it looks like the Legislature, knowingly or not, is following suit, with the House and Senate currently not scheduled to return to Harrisburg until September. Though it’s possible the two chambers could return earlier in the event of a breakthrough.

State House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, a Democrat, has suggested that he thinks the two chambers also could benefit from a cooling off period.

“I think there’s going to be some period of time where we’ve got to reset,” he said.

And that may well be what it takes. All great dramas are nothing without a resolution. And history suggests that this, too, shall pass.

An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is Editor-in-Chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pa. Email him at jmicek@penncapital-star.com and follow him on Twitter @ByJohnLMicek.