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Corbett Signs FY 2013-14 Budget, Without Raising Taxes, Without Other Priorities

About 90 minutes before midnight on June 30, Gov. Tom Corbett signed the 2013-14 budget-- House Bill 1437 (Adolph-R-Delaware), Corbett’s third on-time budget. Corbett said the budget helps our children receive the best education possible, helps those who need it most, and helps employers grow jobs - without raising taxes for working families.

With the FY 2013-14 General Fund budget now on the books, we now know $1.9 billion has been cut or diverted from environmental programs over the last 11 years, starting with the record budget and staff cuts by Gov. Rendell in each year of his administration.  (See related article.)

Gov. Rendell's share of these cuts/diversions is $1.4 billion.  Gov. Corbett's share is $533.5 million, so far.

Surrounded by Republican members of the House, but not the Senate, Corbett signed the $28.375 billion budget Sunday evening June 30 in the Governor’s Reception Room.

The Governor, however, went 0 for 3 in the legislative priorities he wanted to be adopted along with the budget-- pension reform, liquor privatization and additional transportation funding.

The House Transportation Committee amended and reported out Senate Bill 1 (Rafferty-R-Montgomery) on June 27 with a plan providing for $1.9 billion in additional highway, bridge and transit funding after fully implemented in five years. (Click Here for a summary.)  The bill remains on the House Calendar awaiting a full House debate before it would be referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

The Senate and House also completed work on three of the four bills that implement parts of the budget agreement-- the Education, Welfare and Tax Code bills.  The Fiscal Code bill was again amended by the Senate and must now return to the House for a concurrence vote. (See related article.)

The Senate and House have both adjourned until September 23, but the House has scheduled a non-voting session day for July 8 and the Senate can be recalled if need be.

Although not part of the budget, Gov. Corbett has yet to announce his choices to head the departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources.  Senate action on any nominees is now delayed until September when the General Assembly returns. Chris Abruzzo has been the interim Secretary of DEP since mid-April.  Ellen Ferretti has been Acting DCNR Secretary since June 13.

Click Here for an “enhanced” FY 2013-14 budget fact sheet from the Governor’s office. Click Here to view a Senate Republican spreadsheet comparing FY 2012-13 and new FY 2013-14 appropriations. 

Click Here for the agency-by-agency budget spreadsheet which compares current year funding, the Governor’s request and the agreed-to budget numbers.  Click Here for House Democratic FY 2013-14 budget spreadsheet.  Click Here for House Republicans budget spreadsheet.

Some highlights include--

DEP

Conservation Districts- restored $2.5 million ($350,000 less than last year, but this is in addition to about $5 million in Act 13 drilling impact fees going to conservation districts)

Sewage Facilities Planning Grants- restored $200,000 (zeroed out last year)

Natural Gas Drilling Research - new $150,000 (in Fiscal Code bill)

Overall- $2.8 million increase

DCNR

Heritage Parks - restored $2.2 million (zeroed out last few years)

Overall - $22.7 million cut (General Fund monies were cut, but Oil and Gas Fund revenues were used to support the DCNR budget.  More than $106 million of DCNR’s roughly $300 million budget will come from oil and gas royalties and lease payments in FY 2013-14)

Agriculture

Resource Enhancement and Protection Farm Conservation Tax Credit - retained $10 million

Agricultural Land Preservation- $35 million

Conservation Districts- $869,000 ($150,000 less than last year, same note as above)

Overall- $5.7 million cut ($3.4 million cut in General Govt. Operations)

Environmental Hearing Board- $2.1 million ($181,000 more than last year)

Commonwealth Financing Authority- $7.5 million less than last year

NewsClips:

Corbett Signs $28.4 Billion Budget

Corbett Beats Deadline, Signs Budget

Corbett, House GOP Punts On Key Priorities

Corbett Promises To Redouble Efforts On Liquor, Transportation

Chances For Transportation, Liquor Bills Slim

Corbett Sees Hope For His Agenda

Corbett Strikes Out On Top Priorities

Budget Relies More On Gas Royalties To Fund DCNR

DCNR Gets Lion’s Share Of Funding From Drilling

Winners, Losers In PA Budget

State Budget Boosts Several Key Areas

Legislature Fails To Act On Transportation Funding

PennDOT Chief Warns Of Costs Of No Funding Increase

House Fails To Take Up Transportation Bill

Transportation Bill Goes Nowhere In House

GOP: House Dems Holding Transportation Funding Bill Hostage

Attention Sought For State’s Unpaved Roads

Drilling Costs Get Speedier Write-Off

Corbett Abandoning State Employee 40-Hour Work Week


7/8/2013

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