Gov. Ed Rendell reportedly said Friday afternoon that he is willing to stall budget negotiations until Labor Day if he is unsatisfied with education spending.

Labor Day is Sept.7. The fiscal year starts July 1. Matt Brouillette, president and CEO of the conservative Commonwealth Foundation, initially posted Gov. Rendell’s comment on Twitter. Rendell on Friday joined Gerald Zahorchak, secretary of the Department of Education, on a bus tour meant to rally support against a Senate-approved budget they say would cripple education funding.

Brouillette has followed the nearly week-long tour as a tangible counter-point to it, asserting that the Senate’s funding plan is necessary during difficult economic times. It also doesn’t mean school districts won’t receive another funding boost this year, he said.

Gov. Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo could not confirm if the governor had made the remark. But Ardo said given governor’s commitment to education, he “would not be surprised” if he did.