HARRISBURG -- Senate Republicans last night slashed a $29.1 billion House spending plan to $27.1 billion while restoring funding to higher education.

The Senate bill calls for 3.6 percent less spending than last year's $27.8 billion and would not require a tax hike.

The proposal now heads to the state House, which is controlled by Democrats who say the Senate plan doesn't spend enough on education, health care and public safety. Democrats say the Senate budget would result in the layoff of as many as 3,000 state workers.

House leaders don't yet know whether they will allow the GOP plan to come to a vote.

"It's far from what we want," said Brett Marcy, spokesman for House Democratic Leader Todd Eachus, who controls the voting schedule. "We believe more can and should be done for the people of Pennsylvania."

If no agreement can be reached between the two chambers, legislative leaders would meet in a closed-door conference committee to hash out an agreement. Both chambers then would vote on the compromise plan with no opportunity to amend it.

Passage in the Senate came on a 31-19 vote, but it does not bring Democrats and Republicans any closer to an agreement.

Senators who voted last night for the GOP plan said it isn't perfect but it provides essential services without increasing taxes.

"It spends less than last year. It's a reasonable, common-sense approach to government," said Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson.

In passing the plan, the Senate for the first time agreed to $1.7 billion in one-time revenues to balance the 2008-09 budget, which ended in a deficit.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, was the only senator to cross party lines.

She said Pennsylvanians already are struggling to pay their bills and can't afford tax increases to support government programs.

"The last thing we need to do for our constituents is ask them to pay more to bail out the state," Ms. Boscola said. "I don't believe the world is going to come to an end if we actually dare to be bold enough to cut some of the fat in this budget all across the board. The reality is we don't have enough money to fund all the programs that we would like to."

Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, meanwhile, said he'd like a zero-tax-increase budget, too, but not if it means making "kamikaze attacks" on funding for programs constituents need.

Mr. Ferlo said there are other sources of revenue that can be tapped, such as an expansion of gambling or a tax on the extraction of natural gas.

The five-hour debate turned acerbic at times.

At one point, Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, called Gov. Rendell "despicable" for allowing 77,000 state workers to go without pay when that could have been prevented. The governor has said there is no authorization to pay for expenses, including payroll, incurred after June 30, when the fiscal year ended. Back pay will be issued after a budget passes, he has said.

Today marks the 21st day without a budget.