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GOP legislators won’t compromise

By Mark Nicastre 3 min read

In his budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf told Republicans and Democrats alike to bring him different ideas, and he would listen. But he also said that simply saying no is not an option.

In an effort to hear from Republican leaders and members, the governor made outreach a priority, going above and beyond.

From the day of his inauguration, the governor set a standing Tuesday meeting with Republican leadership. In fact, since his March budget address, the governor hosted at least 17 meetings with Republican leadership. On at least three occasions, they just did not show up.

The governor has also dropped in on dozens upon dozens of Republican members around the Capitol, sometimes walking the halls for hours to stop by their offices. He also invited every member of the Legislature — some on multiple occasions — to breakfast, lunch and dinner with him at the Governor’s Residence, hosting more than 30 legislative meals there.

On the night before and the morning of the governor’s budget address, Sens. Jake Corman and Joe Scarnati were no-shows for traditional briefings at which the governor explains his budget proposal. Immediately following his address, Republican leaders rejected the governor’s budget outright — without ever having a conversation.

In the end, the Republicans passed a budget that contained their priorities and nothing else. The Republican budget fails to include a common-sense severance tax. It does not restore cuts made by Republicans to education over the last four years, or reduce property taxes. And the Republican budget would increase — rather than responsibly address — the structural budget deficit.

The governor is the only party in budget negotiations who has made significant concessions to try to gain compromise. In addition to concessions made in private negotiations, the Wolf administration has publicly offered major concessions on severance taxes, liquor reform and pensions. The Republicans made their proposals on their two top priorities “pre-requirements.” And on the governor’s popular plan to enact a severance tax on oil and gas drillers, they said their “counterproposal was nothing.”

Republicans are ignoring the will of the people of Pennsylvania. The public has spoken time and again that Pennsylvanians prioritize more funding for schools and property tax relief, and they support a common-sense severance tax. They voted for divided government — not dysfunction.

For months, Republican leaders talked a good game of compromise: The governor would have to sign things he didn’t like, and Republican leaders would have to pass things they didn’t like. But in the end, the Republicans passed a partisan budget that failed to give Pennsylvanians what they wanted and ignored the governor’s efforts to compromise.

The governor met Republicans more than halfway on their priorities — pension and liquor reform — and he offered major concessions on his severance tax.

The governor has tried to compromise. He has gone above and beyond to reach out to the General Assembly. The Republicans have brought nothing to the table but gamesmanship, rhetoric and an unbalanced budget.

It is now in the hands of Republican leadership to bring something more than nothing to the table. Pennsylvanians deserve a good budget: one that is balanced, that addresses the long-term structural deficit without gimmicks, and that prioritizes the public’s desire for more funding for education from a severance tax, and relief from property taxes.

Mark Nicastre is the director of communications for Gov. Wolf.

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