Governor Weighs Action On Republican Budget He Doesn't Like
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - With the holidays, taxpayers can be forgiven for not knowing exactly what is going on in this budget stalemate between Governor Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled legislature.
Here's an update.
A couple weeks ago, the governor, Senate Republicans, and Senate & House Democrats reached agreement on a $30.8 billion budget that boosts funding for schools.
That budget passed the Senate and was awaiting House action last week.
But just when it seemed enough House Republicans would join Democrats to pass the bill and end the stalemate, House Republican Speaker Mike Turzai adjourned the House for a Christmas break.
"The House Republicans took their caucus and went home," PA Rep. Joe Markosek, Democratic chair of the House Budget Committee, said at the time.
House Republican Majority Leader Dave Reed defended the action, saying they could not allow a vote when the Senate had not come up with a revenue bill to pay for it.
"We can't vote on a budget until we have a tax code bill," said Reed.
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So with the House gone, Senate Republicans reneged on the compromise, instead passing a $30.2 billion budget that House Republicans had approved earlier, similar to a Republican budget Wolf vetoed six months ago.
The governor lambasted Republicans, saying, "The Republican legislature is intent on continuing the Harrisburg status quo and getting out of town to go on vacation instead of continuing the hard work to move Pennsylvania forward."
The legislature is now back home until at least January 4th.
In the meantime, Wolf must decide whether to sign, veto, or blue-line (line-item veto) the Republican budget which has less money for schools than Wolf wants and has no funding at all for Penn State, Pitt, and other state-related universities.
No word yet on what the governor will do.
