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House GOP Passes Funding Plan, Pushing Debate to the Senate

Late last night, the state House GOP passed its own funding package to close the $2.2 billion budget gap in a 103 to 91 vote.  

The House’s plan does not include the tax increases and expansions that were included in the Senate’s plan that was sent to the House, and is supported by Governor Wolf.  

City & State reports:

According to the details of the plan, the revenue scheme will get money from the following sources: $20 million from legislative reserve accounts; $1 billion by selling a portion of the Tobacco Settlement Fund’s Master Settlement Agreement funding stream over a 10-year period; $630.5 million in special fund transfers; $400 million in multi-year agency lapsed funds; $225 million in gaming reform proceeds; $50 million from additional Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board license transfers to privately owned “agency stores” that will serve areas in which state stores are losing money; and a $200 million transfer from the Joint Underwriters Association Fund.

House Speaker Mike Turzai put the blame for the budget shortfall on Wolf after the plan was passed.  

“There was an inflated revenue estimate. The governor also had a responsibility to hold off on spending when the revenues weren’t coming in–it was completely irresponsible for this governor to continue to spend money,” Turzai told State House Sound Bites.  

The Senate will return for session on Monday, while Governor Wolf has said he will have to start freezing spending or borrowing money for the state to pay its bills on Friday.

12 Responses

  1. Wolf is just another socialist in disguise. Tax tax tax . Spending our tax dollars like a little kid in a candy store. When all of your constituents have to tighten up their belts , so should the government. Special projects and interest group funding, leaches sucking on welfare, free money for anyone who doesn’t want to work. All on the backs of those who have to work. Mr Wolf sir, you can kiss my ass

  2. What does Turzai mean by that? Wolf wasn’t supposed to meet payroll or pay bills while the legislature sat on its hands in a snit?

  3. So the GOP House wants to rob the tobacco settlement fund, which is legally questionable, and franchise a few State Stores (to get its privatization foot in the door). Maybe we could also have an auction of all the rugs and desks in the legislative offices. That would be a strong message of priorities.

    1. Seriously. It is just more evidence that “fiscally conservative” is anything but “fiscally responsible”.

      1. Well the Historical and Museum Commission will nearly be out of business. Many of those same Reps. who voted for this bill love to have pictures of their faces taken at a State historic site for re-election purposes.

        1. Listening to the talking points being repeated ad nauseam by different Reps. is suffocating.

    2. Franchise a few State Stores is dumb. Just sell all of them. Nobody should be opposed to that, at least who cares about the citizens of PA.

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