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Emotions high after failed budget veto override

By J.D. Prose for The 3 min read

Emotions among state House legislators were still running high and partisan Wednesday after a futile effort by Republicans the previous day to override Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget veto.

“It was an unconstitutional sham, really nothing more than political theater,” said state Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-Franklin Township. Gibbons said the maneuver “made a mockery of the legislative process.”

State Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township, said Republicans were simply playing politics with an eye on elections in 2016. “They just have to get serious about the budget,” Mahoney said. “(Tuesday) was just something for next year’s elections.”

While Democrats decried the attempted overrides as unconstitutional and a waste of time, Republicans bemoaned the continued lack of funding for services such as rape crisis centers, cancer screenings, senior and domestic violence programs and food providers.

“To my disappointment, political agendas triumphed good government, leaving vulnerable Pennsylvanians as the innocent victims once again,” lamented state Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Perryopolis, in a statement.

Republicans attempted to pass specific line items Tuesday even though Wolf vetoed the entire budget without invoking the line-item veto. Without any Democratic support, the override efforts — which need a two-thirds majority — failed.

State Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, used the failed votes, which went along party lines, to hammer his Democratic colleagues for falling in line with Wolf.

“They had an opportunity to vote to fund these agencies…,” Christiana said, “and they’re taking the governor’s stance where they’re not going to release any funding to create pressure, to create anxiety in the hopes of increasing their negotiating position.”

Christiana argued that legislators have a duty and the authority to review the budget line-by-line even though Wolf vetoed the entire GOP-backed package.

However, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Ambridge, pointed out that the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau determined the Legislature “must reconsider a vetoed bill in the manner in which the bill was vetoed,” meaning the GOP had to address the entire budget, not go line-by-line.

Matzie said that even if the overrides had enough votes, they never would have passed legal scrutiny and no funding would have ever been released. “It was embarrassing. The commonwealth should be embarrassed,” he said.

Bristling at Christiana’s comments, Matzie said Republicans spent four years under former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett slashing spending on education and public services, only now to claim they are fighting to fund those same programs.

“It’s hypocrisy at its best,” Matzie said.

As Pennsylvania prepares to enter its third month without a budget, legislators in each party said it was up to the other side to compromise and negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement.

Christiana vowed that the GOP would “continue to do everything we can to pass a budget,” while Mahoney said an agreement is needed soon to avoid hurting Pennsylvanians.

“There’s going to be compromise,” Mahoney said. “I don’t think anybody’s going to be happy in this deal.”

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