GOVERNOR WILL OFFER ADDITIONAL CUTS

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gov. Rendell said yesterday that he would offer “several hundred million dollars” in additional spending cuts next week in an effort to balance the new state budget.  With just 34 days left to produce the 2009-10 budget on time, Rendell and legislative Republicans continued sniping at each other. Rendell was still pushing for some smaller tax increases and said he hoped a broad-based tax increase, such as a higher sales or personal income tax, could be avoided. He and Senate Republicans have been $1.7 billion apart on their budget plans. Rendell had suggested $29 billion in combined state-federal spending for the fiscal year starting July 1; the Senate has approved, along party lines, a $27.3 billion, no-tax-increase budget. Click here to read the Philadelphia Inquirer article.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER WARNS OF BUDGET CUTS

Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario yesterday warned that the Senate Republican budget proposal would dramatically affect the state’s Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP, which provides healthcare to approximately 180,000 Pennsylvanian children, must be given high priority in the upcoming budget, said Commissioner Ario. According

Continue reading Eye Opener – May 28, 2009