Same old
It’s deja vu all over again in Harrisburg.
Once again, state legislators missed the June 30 deadline to pass a state budget. The lawmakers did pass a $32 billion budget last week, but it was only a spending bill. They’ve been working since then on a revenue bill which would finance the budget.
Unfortunately this last-minute scrambling near the budget deadline has become an annual rite in Harrisburg.
While this budget scenario is much better than the nine-month impasse which took place during Gov. Wolf’s first year in office, it’s still unfortunate that budget talks have come down to the last minute once again.
Simply put, there has to be a better way for lawmakers to craft a budget. It’s the same every year with all the heavy lifting coming at the last minute, giving rank-and-file lawmakers scant time to study the details of the budget.
And it’s been the same way for a number of years, whether it’s been Democrats or Republicans controlling the Legislature. One other thing that remains the same is number of days the Legislature is actually in session. While lawmakers are in Harrisburg for a variety of hearings and meetings, session days are the only days where lawmakers can actually vote. Thus, they are extremely important days on the calendar for state lawmakers. But the problem is there just aren’t enough of them to get anything done in Harrisburg, especially considering all the complex issues facing lawmakers.
It all started back in January when legislators didn’t convene until Jan. 23. And the House was only in session for three days before going home. The Senate did a little better, holding six session days.
Both chamber retuned to Harrisburg on Feb. 6, but that was only for another three-day session. In March the House was in session for four days, while the Senate was in session for six days.
Overall, the House was only in session for 11 days in the first three months of this year. The Senate was a little better, being in session for 16 days.
Things did pick up some after that, with both chambers being in session for 15 days in June. But obviously it was too little, too late. Overall, the House has been in session for 42 days this year, while the Senate has been in session for 43 days.
And don’t look for things to pick up anytime soon. The fall schedule hasn’t been set yet, but if last year’s calendar is any guide, the lawmakers will be in recess until the middle of September and then come back for a handful of session days in October and November before calling it quits for the year.
There are always comments from lawmakers, especially near the end of the fiscal year, that they didn’t have enough time to get everything done. The problem, though, isn’t time. There’s plenty of time now to get things done. Lawmakers just have to get serious and knuckle down to the business at hand.
Of course, this isn’t to say that lawmakers aren’t busy. We agree that the vast majority of legislators work hard, attending a variety of hearings in Harrisburg and elsewhere in the state. They also participate in countless community events back home and meet often with their constituents. But legislative leaders should find a way to be in session more so lawmakers can actually get something done.
Perhaps they should try meeting for four days instead of three. That extra day in Harrisburg could be a big help.
While no one likes to be away from their families, this is the job lawmakers were elected to perform and they’re certainly well compensated for their services.
In the end, changes have to be made to the legislative calendar or we’ll have more deja vu at budget time in the future.