Wolf’s big decision: to sign or veto bill in 6-month impasse

“When Tom Wolf issued a complete veto of the Republicans’ on-time budget last June, he needlessly plunged our school districts and non-profits into a six-month crisis”.

At a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday, the Democrat said the Republican-backed proposal falls short and lawmakers “left town before they finished their job”.

Tom Wolf on Tuesday used his line-item veto power to turn down a budget proposal that Republican state officials delivered before state legislators left Harrisburg for the Christmas holiday.

Republicans are urging Wolf to sign it, and stop the borrowing, layoffs or service delays by school districts, counties and social services agencies struggling to get by without state aid. The Philadelphia-based Education Law Center asked Wolf to veto the budget bill. “I just think it means we get to move forward to the next step”. “This budget is wrong for Pennsylvania”.

State Rep. Kevin Schreiber, D-York, said he “applauds” the governor’s decision. “I thought we were making good progress”.

Of the $30.3 billion budget bill passed by the Pennsylvania House and Senate, Wolf said he was willing to approve more than $23 billion in state expenditures. Apparently a $30.3 billion budget that increases education spending by over $400 million without sales or income tax increases is just not enough.

The Republican budget continues the trend of not only underfunding our schools but also of fiscally irresponsible budgets that have led to massive structural deficits and multiple credit downgrades.

The House GOP’s budget bill perpetuates what some call a decade of cuts to social services, squeezing programs and the wages of people who care for the elderly and disabled. “We call on him to sign this bill before he causes unnecessary school closures and wreaks further havoc on vulnerable Pennsylvanians”. Legislation to send an annual subsidy of almost $600 million to Penn State, Temple, Pitt, Lincoln and the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school also remains in the House, and will require a source of money to pay for it.

In that compromised bill, Republicans got cuts in taxes and spending.

Governor Wolf vetoed parts of the budget because Republicans did not pay for their spending and to ensure a more responsible budget, but he is taking action to ensure that schools receive money owed to them through December 31.