After 186 days without any progress, leaders in Harrisburg are ready to end the stalemate.
Special voting sessions in the state legislature have been scheduled for this weekend, with both chambers preparing to push budget bills through before the end of the year.
Gov. Tom Wolf called himself an “eternal optimist” in an interview with KDKA, but didn’t give much information on the form of the budget agreement.
“We’re almost there. I’m very confident,” Wolf said. When asked if there would be a deal by Christmas, Wolf said. “Much sooner than that. That would be my bet.”
The deal includes $350 million for basic education and $50 million for special education – as previously agreed to – as well as $60 million for pre-K, Angela Couloumbis of the Inquirer reports.
An expansion of the list of goods and services subject to the sales tax is also expected, with Wolf admitting “there will be some broadening of the base.”
There will be no natural gas severance tax or property tax relief in this year’s budget, though the first-year Democratic Governor said they would be included in his budget proposal for 2016-17.
Wolf said he would introduce his next budget in the next two months. If next year’s negotiations drag on at the same rate, the 2016-17 budget will still be a month late.
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6 Responses
Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, and I’m shocked why this accident didn’t happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
http://fpoll.com/blog/view/131903/a-method-to-deal-with-component-distributors
Paul
Or, the GOP could vote for the gas severance tax that Wolf campaigned on and got elected on.
GOP has no interest in a budget. Just let the beggers starve, says Grinch.
Typical of a marxist, jihadist, liberal, governor, who promises the world then pulls the carpet right out from you and takes more from the hard working citizen. There is no backbone anymore with our politicians, we need to elect none politician reps. So watch the govenor who mimicks obamah to the teeth, as he takes this state down the path of destruction with promises of while doing evil.
Oops… looks like there is trouble in paradise with the GOP leadership:
http://www.ragingchickenpress.org/2015/12/05/breaking-pabudget-house-republican-caucus-in-chaos-as-david-reed-and-mike-turzai-battle-over-leadership-positions/
“Governor said they would be included in his budget proposal for 2016-17″… and be given as little consideration and respect as this year.