Corbett restores some budget cuts.
Corbett agrees to restore budget
June 21, 2012 12:00 am
By Karen Langley and Laura Olson / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett and Republican legislative leaders announced on Wednesday they had agreed on the framework of a $27.66 billion state budget, but they declined to say how adopting the higher spending level proposed by the Senate would affect funding in areas like education and welfare.
When the Senate took up the $27.14 billion budget proposed by Mr. Corbett, a Republican, it restored $245 million in cuts to higher education and halved reductions to human services, including programs for mental health and child welfare. In the announcement on Wednesday evening, Mr. Corbett acknowledged the deal added to his February proposal but declined to discuss particular spending levels until House and Senate leaders meet with their members. Some details remain under negotiation, he said.
"That is a higher number than I came in," Mr. Corbett said. "We can put money back into some programs, we're just not going to go into the details."
The weeks of negotiation preceding the announcement have involved policy proposals as well as the budget. But Mr. Corbett and the Republican leaders would not discuss which of the topics -- save a tax credit intended to draw a Shell Oil Co. ethane-processing plant to Beaver County -- they hope to approve next week. Mr. Corbett said he believed an agreement had been reached on the tax credit proposal.
More at link: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/corbett-agrees-to-restore-budget-641300/?print=1
From femmocrat: The deadline to pass the budget is July 1. The article goes on to say that the House isn't adding any new spending, so it looks like pretty much done deal. IMO, these negotiations were incumbent on the legislature swallowing that huge tax deal for Royal Dutch Shell. Wanna bet?
= new reply since forum marked as read
