Short-term Pa. budget passes, heads toward promised veto

The plan calls for largely the same funding proposed over the summer in a GOP-authored budget, one that Wolf already vetoed.

However, Wolf and Republican and Democratic legislative leaders were scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon.

The Democrat signed an executive order Wednesday calling for a coordinated effort to ensure contracting opportunities in state agencies for small businesses as well those run by minorities, women, veterans, the disabled and members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

The $11 billion measure would give the state authority to spend money only through October and would be retroactive to July 1.

“At some point in time, somebody’s got to pay for this”, he said. “The people of Pennsylvania don’t need a short-time fix”, he said.

House Republicans argued during several hours of floor debate Thursday that a stopgap budget is necessary while the two sides work toward a final deal.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Adolph, R-Delaware, said he shared the frustrations of his constituents, human service agencies, school districts over teh budget stalemate. The longer the impasse lasts, nonprofits that deliver social services will have to borrow money or, worse, cut back services. “Passing a stopgap measure places zero urgency on the House and the Senate to come to full agreement with the governor”, said Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Clinton. Wolf has advocated for large increases in public education funding and a shift away from property taxes to pay for public schools.

A vote for the stop-gap is a vote to bail out Republicans politically so they don’t have to listen to the voices in their districts telling them to cave.

The emergency state funding package is based on recommended line items included in the original budget the General Assembly presented to the governor on June 30, with no new or increased taxes and appropriations higher than last fiscal year in many cases.

Republicans are asking a volley of questions about the governor’s counteroffer involving gestures toward two key GOP demands: that the state privatize its control of wine and liquor sales and replace the traditional pension benefit for future school and state government employees with contributions to a 401(k)-style retirement plan.