After more than 5 months, Gov. Tom Wolf is stepping up efforts to end the budget impasse before Christmas.
In a short video from the Governor’s office, Wolf reiterated the agreement he has reached with GOP leaders in both chambers of the legislature.
“We have a budget framework that makes historic investment in education,” Wolf said. “It actually pays for those investments with real revenues, not smoke and mirrors.”
That framework includes $350 million in additional funding for basic education, $50 million for special education and $60 million for pre-K. An expansion of the list of goods and services subject to the state’s 6% sales tax is expected in the final budget.
There will be no property tax relief or natural gas severance tax as part of the final deal, though Wolf has said he will re-introduce them as part of his 2016-17 budget.
With the state’s budget now 23 weeks late and lawmakers readying to leave Harrisburg for the holidays, time is running out on Wolf and his colleagues (though the clock is already up on many of the state’s most vulnerable residents).
“It’s time for a budget. Time for historic increases in funding for education,” Wolf said. “It’s time we have a balanced budget. Let’s get it done.”
4 Responses
People act like charging the severance tax will solve all of life’s problems. It’ll offer some short term relief for sure, but then PA will be the highest cost of extraction in the country. That means as soon as their current operations dry up, they won’t dig new wells in PA and look elsewhere for cheaper extraction. So then you’ll lose a few thousand jobs, and natural gas will cost more in PA because it has to be trucked from out of state.
“Halfway through the fiscal year, there can be no better time than now to pass the budget.”
Except, of course, anytime within the last 6 months. Mediocrity within government is not something to celebrate, PoliticsPA.
Wolf needs to stand up to the Repervlicans!!
It’s time to tax shale extraction or institute a moratorium.