HARRISBURG -- House Democratic leaders have adopted a daring -- some call it irresponsible -- strategy for enacting a 2009-10 state budget, calling for a vote on an unbalanced budget that Democrats admit they don't even like.

House Speaker Keith McCall of Carbon County, joined by House Majority Leader Todd Eachus of Luzerne and others, said yesterday that the Democratic-controlled House Appropriations Committee will -- on Monday -- send to the House floor Senate Bill 850, a $27.3 billion proposal approved in early May by the Senate, which everyone agrees is now out of balance.

Mr. McCall said Senate Republican leaders have repeatedly criticized House Democrats for not sending the Senate-passed budget bill to the House floor for action. So that's what Democrats now plan to do, although a floor vote may not take place until July 27, because of rules regarding submission of amendments and proper notice before votes are taken.

Senate Bill 850, which contains no state income tax increase, is coming up for a committee vote Monday even though it is $1.7 billion out of balance, Mr. McCall said. House Democrats will provide a "spreadsheet" of ways to bring it into balance, but they will be extremely painful for state workers and citizens who need state services, he warned.

The budget-balancing could require laying off as many as 6,000 of the 77,000 state workers; deep cuts in human services, such as hospital neonatal services, burn centers, mental health programs, nursing home funding and services for the disabled; the closing of many state parks; the loss of health insurance for some children, and cuts in aid for senior citizens.

Senate Bill 850 will also reduce state aid for education, Democrats said, forcing counties and school districts to increase their property taxes.

Senate Bill 850 was, in fact, defeated by the House Appropriations panel a month ago for some of these very reasons. However, on Monday it will be approved and sent to the full House for action, Mr. McCall and Mr. Eachus said.

House Democratic leaders adopted this new tactic on the GOP Senate bill because they have been unable to persuade legislators to support Gov. Ed Rendell's call for a 16 percent increase in the personal income tax, or higher taxes on tobacco and a new tax on natural gas. Mr. McCall admitted many constituents don't like the new taxes.

"The personal income-tax increase clearly is dead, " said House Republican Leader Sam Smith of Punxsutawney. "There's certainly not a majority for the personal income-tax in the House, and that's good news."

Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, said if Democrats had enough support in their own caucus for a tax hike they would have brought it to a vote.

Mr. McCall he said he doesn't think the public realizes the harm that Senate Bill 850 will bring, especially after it's reduced by an additional $1.7 billion.

"It's time to air Senate Bill 850 in the House," he said. "We will look at those cuts and what they will mean to citizens. It's time we had this debate."

It still isn't certain exactly how the additional $1.7 billion in cuts will be made to Senate Bill 850 -- on the floor of the House prior to passage, or by Gov. Rendell, after the Legislature sends him the budget bill. He has the power to "blue line" items he doesn't like, and he is constitutionally required to sign a balanced budget.

House Republican leaders yesterday blasted Democrats as "irresponsible" for putting an unbalanced budget up for action.

"They've gone from one bad extreme to another," said House GOP leader Sam Smith. "First, they wanted a 16 percent increase in the personal income tax. That was a bad idea. Now they want to send Senate Bill 850, unamended, to the governor. That is equally as irresponsible."

Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St, Clair, said, "It's an abdication of responsibility by Democrats and an embrace of hypocrisy, serving only to delay important and difficult decisions that must ultimately be made."

Today, House GOP leaders will unveil a plan of their own to balance Senate Bill 850. They want to get their amendment discussed on the House floor, but with the Democrats in control, that may not happen.

Republicans may use a procedure called a "discharge resolution" to try to get their amendment considered, it may not work because Democrats control the House by a 104-99 margin.

"Our amendment [to Senate Bill 850] adequately funds Pennsylvania's needs [for fiscal 2009-10] while living within our means and there is no tax increase," Mr. Smith said.