BUDGET UPDATE IN THIS SPACE: No Budget Deal Going Into Monday
Photo

The House returned to voting session Friday and the Senate on Saturday to do the hard part of state budgeting-- paying for the $31.996 billion General Fund budget the passed on June 30 and overcoming a $2.2 billion budget without raising broad-based taxes.

As of 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, no agreement was reached on the revenue package.

Drew Crompton, chief of staff for Senate President Pro-Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson), said Thursday in a Tweet-- “If age 50 is the new 40, then July 10th is the new June 30th” -- in legislative time of course.

Lawmakers and Gov. Wolf are working against a midnight July 10 deadline to take final action on the last pieces of the budget, but as always, deadlines don’t mean that much in Harrisburg.

At midnight Monday, the Commonwealth ceases to have the ability to spend money unless the General Fund budget bill-- House Bill 218 (Saylor-R-York)--  is signed into law by Gov. Wolf or allowed to become law without his signature as the last two budgets have.

In play to be amended to implement the final budget agreement (whatever it is) are the Code bills: Fiscal Code and Administrative Code-- bills where anything and everything has been added in the past; Tax Code, Education and Human Resources Codes and gaming and liquor bills as needed.

The Senate and House Republicans have also said clearly they will be doing transfers from special funds to the General Fund, but have not yet identified the special funds they will target.

=Also on the chopping block are the amounts authorized for a variety of tax credit programs that House Republicans have said they want to cut to eliminate “corporate welfare.”

Anything and everything is on the table.  Stay tuned!

NewsClips:

Advocate Seeks Budget Declared Unconstitutional Based On Environmental Rights Amendment Case 

Court To Decide If Nearly $400M In Oil & Gas Lease Funds Should Be Used For Conservation 

Lawmakers Call For Natural Gas Severance Tax (Nothing For Environment) 

Op-Ed: For Sake Of Boaters, Anglers, Pass Senate Bill 30, John Arway

Op-Ed: Without License Hike, PA Fish Programs To Be Slashed

Editorial: House Should Approve Bill To Increase Fishing Licenses

Thompson: State Budget Talks Continue With Apparent Break In Gambling Impasse

AP: PA Budget Talks Hanging On Deal On Gambling Bill

Another Down-To-The-Wire Push For Budget Agreement

AP: PA Budget Negotiations Stuck On Gambling Expansion

Gambling Expansion Increasing Odds Against Timely Budget Deal

Thompson: Legislative Leaders Preparing To Place Their Bets On Gambling Expansion

Legislature To Reconvene Today, State Budget Funding Unclear

Lawmakers Optimistic About State Budget Pact

PA Lawmakers To Work Into The Weekend To Resolve Budget

Thompson: PA State Budget Needs A Payment Plan

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa Talks Budget

House Majority Leader: No Agreements On How To Pay For PA Budget

House Majority Leader: No Agreements On How To Pay For PA Budget

Nearly A Week Into Stalemate, No Agreements On Budget Revenue

AP: Deficit-Ridden Pennsylvania Warned Of Another Hit To Credit

AP: PA Budget Talks Drag Into Day 5 Of Fiscal Year

AP: PA Budget Talks Continue, Stalemate Enters Day 5, No Disruptions Until July 10

AP: Click Ticking On $2 Billion Search To Balance PA Budget

Editorial: Penalties Needed On Legislators For Late Budget

Related Story:

House, Senate, Governor Agree On $31.996B Spending Plan, Fails To Address ANY Environmental Funding Shortfalls

[Posted: July 7, 2017]


7/10/2017

    Go To Next Article

Return to This PA Environment Digest's Main Page