Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, made the right call in bringing members of the upper chamber back to Harrisburg so Gov. Josh Shapiro could sign the lion’s share of the state budget into law.

Now the tough-minded leaders have to forget July’s shenanigans — both Shapiro’s unprecedented line-item veto and Ward’s month-long holdout — and deal with the reality of divided government. They should rebuild trust by passing the most agreeable budget items that still require legislation, before finalizing the remaining contentious matters.

The now-signed General Appropriation bill, which keeps all departments and agencies funded at no more than last year’s levels, was only the first part of the budget process. Now the Democratic governor, Republican Senate and (for now) evenly-divided House have to agree on the so-called Fiscal Code bill — or bills — that will fund new or expanded programs.

These include everything from the popular Whole-Home Repairs program, which pays for needed renovations for low-income homeowners, to a first-ever state appropriation for indigent criminal defense. And — roiling Harrisburg even further — the negotiations could include the $100 million Pennsylvania Award for Student Success school voucher program, which Shapiro supported on the campaign trail but line-item vetoed from the first bill.

Step one to get back on track is to break up the Fiscal Code bill into parts, as the legislature has done in the past, and to get popular and mutually agreeable items to the governor’s desk. Begin with Whole-Home Repairs and indigent defense, which are lined up in the same part of the Fiscal Code.

These appropriations fund needs the state should address as soon as possible. Pennsylvania is one of only two states where constitutionally mandated representation for low-income defendants is funded completely at the local level, which can mean that some defendants don’t get the legal defense they need. And the first tranche of Whole-Home Repairs money, from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, is already oversubscribed, so bringing state money to the program should be a priority.

Step two is to take up the harder matters, particularly education. The main cause of the budget impasse was the inflexibility of the state’s powerful teachers unions. They are said to have threatened Democratic lawmakers with primary challenges if they supported the original budget deal, which included the $100 million scholarship program. As the situation in Pittsburgh makes clear, government by special interest doesn’t serve the people well.

However, there are signs the threat may be weakening. Last week, Rep. Amen Brown, D-Philadelphia, publicly indicated his support for the PASS program. In an evenly divided House, it would only take one defection to approve the original deal. The fragility of their position should encourage House Democrats and their union backers to accept a compromise, including a version of the PASS program.

The state needs a completed budget and that means compromise from all sides. Getting the budget finished will get Mr. Shapiro’s administration back on track, and restore the working relationship between his office and Republican legislators. It’s up to them to make it happen.

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP