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PA-BGT: House Passes $31.55 Billion Budget

Mike-TurzaiThe PA State Senate will begin considering a $31.55 billion budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year after the House of Representatives voted Tuesday evening to pass a 4.8% spending increase.

The budget vehicle legislation, Senate Bill 1073, passed by a 132-68 vote just 20 hours after an omnibus amendment was adopted by the House Appropriations Committee. A motion was approved to bypass the rule requiring 24 hours for consideration.

The budget plan increases total spending for pre-K to 12th grade education by $250 million, and the state will meet its burgeoning pension obligations without raising income or sales taxes.

The deal still relies on an increased tax on tobacco products and new revenue from liquor privatization and expanded gaming in PA.

Also on Tuesday, the House passed House Bill 2150 – by a 114-85 vote – allowing casinos to operate online gambling sites and slot machines at airports and off-track betting parlors, while requiring licensure of daily sports fantasy sites.

Gov. Tom Wolf indicated just before the vote in the House that he didn’t fully support the deal because it doesn’t raise enough revenue to balance the budget, though he seemed confident the necessary changes can still be made.

“I haven’t agreed to this, and as far as I can tell, there’s still some things to be worked out,” Wolf told KQV-AM.

Lawmakers have until the end of Thursday to pass a budget for the 2016-17 fiscal term and avoid a repeat of last year.

10 Responses

  1. Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania’s Leo Knepper says it well and succinctly. I would note that the Republicans sold out their base again. For example, Tom Sankey and George Dunbar are disappointing. http://www.empowerpa.org/urgent-house-passes-irresponsible-budget/

    Leo Knepper: As we noted last week, the House was considering a budget that would include a massive increase in spending. Yesterday the House passed that budget. SB 1073 includes a $1.5 billion spending increase. The budget growth under this plan is more than five times the rate of inflation. According to the Commonwealth Foundation, it is the largest spending increase in more than a decade.

    The House made no attempts to reign in corporate welfare, or out of control human services spending. The budget, as written, will require taxpayers to pay more in taxes. The amount of money this budget spends outstrips current revenue/tax collections by over $1 billion. The only way to pay for this is by taking more money out of your pocket.

    Contact your Senator immediately to let them know you oppose the House’s irresponsible budget.

  2. grassroots – because he is a pathetic TEA-guzzling FOXtard. That’s why. He posts his nonsense here under a million different screen-names.

  3. Another smoke and mirror budget that kicks the State’s problems down the road again. Wolf gets a little feel good time in office and the State House Lawmakers go home to brag about themselves this summer as they stand for reelection.. The GOP again protects the wealthy. All new revenue will be placed on regular people. Biggest problem of all is voters won’t see through the inadiquies of this fiscal plan and will vote again for the fools that passed it. Only way to clean Harrisburg up is by term limits. Since we will never see that on a ballot, the only option is to vote all incumbents out of office.

  4. Lovin’ me some Pa budgeting! My gaming company is coming to the Keystone State baby! Place your bets!

  5. CentPADem: Partisan BS from a partisan moron. Look at the vote. Most of the nays came from Republicans. Why can’t people like you ever see things objectively instead of always looking through a partisan filter?

  6. Raisin’ taxes on snuff chewers and robbin’ the poor via online gaming. The 1%ers are taken care of again by the reverse Robin Hood Republicans once again.

  7. Told you so…the hoes sold out to the Zappala mafia. So…if we don’t let the Cookie Monster count the cookies, maybe there will a few bucks for education. Godfather Zappala earned his keep baiting these hoes. He and his daughter should get a raise. The legislature will sponsor it.

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