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State House passes its own spending plan

By J.D. Prose jprose@calkins.Com 3 min read
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State House Republicans passed their own spending plan Tuesday, throwing into question a separate appropriations deal passed by the Senate that has Gov. Tom Wolf’s approval.

In a mostly partisan 115-86 vote, the House approved a $30.26 billion appropriations bill that increases spending by 3.7 percent from last year and boosts basic education spending by $100 million.

The plan is funded with new taxes on tobacco and state lottery winnings, and by revenue from Internet gambling, said state Rep. Bill Adolph, R-Delaware County, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee., who called the bill “a responsible, achievable spending plan.”

Adolph said the bill also includes a 5 percent increase in spending on community colleges and universities, and $24 million for additional state troopers as well as more money for agricultural programs, long-term care, services for those with disabilities, rural hospitals and child advocacy centers.

“This budget is responsible,” Adolph told his colleagues. “It makes a huge investment in areas that all of us care deeply about. Let’s come together as a united House of Representatives.”

But, the vote tally was anything but united with all Democrats voting against the bill and all but four Republicans voting for it. The House spending plan was expected to be amended by the Senate with its language and then sent back to the House for reconsideration.

“Quite frankly, it’s a joke,” state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Ambridge, said of the situation where even Republicans in the Senate and House can not agree on a budget. “It’s embarrassing.”

Matzie’s colleague, state Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township, said Republicans were “just trying to posture and play politics” while school districts and social service organizations go without money and are threatened with closures.

“I don’t know what the outcome’s going to be,” said a frustrated Mahoney.

State Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, said House Republicans are simply not comfort-able with a vague Senate appropriations bill that needs at least a $1 billion in new revenue. “We’re unable to afford it without some other tax increase and they were unwilling to tell us what tax increase would be included,” Christiana said.

“There are not enough votes for the taxes that go with that bill,” state Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Perryopolis, said of the GOP-controlled Senate plan.

One option that might draw bipartisan support is a stop-gap budget that failed to pass a few months ago. If there is no budget agreement by the end of this week, “an emergency spending bill should be discussed,” Christiana said.

Mahoney and Warner agreed with the freshman Republican saying he would vote for a stop-gap measure “in a heartbeat.”

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