House lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to approve a $28.05 billion spending bill Wednesday, guaranteeing the state will have an on-time budget for the first time in 8 years.
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The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee moved forward HB 2300, which was amended, and HR 870. HB 2300 enacts a new council which would act as an advisory board to the Governor, concerning geospatial issues. HR 870 urges the government to help returning war veterans, in both economic and personal situations, which in many cases can result in suicide. For for details, check out the Capitol Toolbox this afternoon. Posted by intern | Tags: Geospatial, veterans | Category: Committee Voting Meeting | Comments are closed | Share:
This morning the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted budget agreement language into HB 2279 and approved the bill, with Senator Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill) the lone dissenting vote. The bill now moves to the Senate floor for final consideration. The committee also voted out the non-preferred appropriations, some with amendments. Check the Committee News section of the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story Posted by mike | Tags: Budget | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, Senate Appropriations | Comments are closed | Share:
The Senate Transportation Committee conducted its third hearing on the issue of funding the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure. Today’s hearing concentrated on the issue of state funding for public transit. Representatives from local transit authorities including the Port Authority of Allegheny County and SEPTA presented testimony. Also participating were representatives from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the United Transportation Union. Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by jeff | Tags: transportation funding | Category: Public/Informational Committee Hearing, Senate Transportation | Comments are closed | Share:
RENDELL: WE HAVE A BUDGET AGREEMENT Following many hours of negotiations, Governor Rendell held a press conference this afternoon to announce that an agreement has been reached with legislative leaders on a FY 2010-11 state budget. He said that at this point he is “fairly confident” the pieces will be in place by the end of tomorrow night, meaning that for the first time since he took office the state budget will have been completed on time. Among the things that made an agreement possible, the Governor noted that June revenues look to be coming in above estimates, by as much as $25-30 million. In addition the success of the tax amnesty program shaved another $45 million from the deficit, leaving a $1.22 billion total shortfall. In all, the governor said the agreed-to budget spends $28.052 billion, an increase of 0.6% over last year. Check out the Press Conferences section of the PLS Capitol Toolbox to read the full story. NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION TAX EXPECTED IN OCTOBER According to an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, with Senate Republicans tentatively on board with a new tax on the extraction of natural gas from the Continue reading Eye Opener – June 30, 2010 The budget agreement among the legislative leaders includes painful cuts that reflect the state’s dwindling revenue but preserves and even boosts valuable education and economic programs, Governor Ed Rendell said Tuesday. Read the complete story here (Subscription Required). Following many hours of negotiations, Governor Rendell held a press conference this afternoon to announce that an agreement has been reached with legislative leaders on a 2010-11 state budget. He said that at this point he is “fairly confident” the pieces will be in place by the end of tomorrow night, meaning that for the first time in years the state budget will have been completed on time. The governor called the budget a “conservative” one that is good for the people of Pennsylvania, though not without its pain. A number of state agencies, including DEP, DCNR and L&I will have their funding cut by around 10 percent. The budget agreement includes binding language that a Marcellus Shale severance tax will need to be passed no later than October 1. The specific details of the tax, including an overall rate and the local share, will be negotiated as a special task force on the issue begins work. Several other proposed taxes, including on smokeless tobacco and cigars, were not a part of the final deal. Though reiterating it is a good budget, Governor Rendell said there are still “potential storm clouds” that could affect the agreement. In particular the Continue reading Rendell: “We have a budget agreement” Posted by mike | Tags: Budget, FMAP, taxation | Category: Administration, Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Echoing remarks made just hours earlier by House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne), Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) told reporters after a meeting with Governor Ed Rendell on Tuesday that a budget deal is in place. Click here to read the entire story (Subscription Only). The Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning to consider several bills and a judicial nomination. The nomination of Robert Freedberg as a judge on the Superior Court was unanimously moved forward. The committee considered several bills, all of which were moved forward unanimously with minimal discussion, except for SB 99 which would create a criminal penalty for negligent parents. The bill was amended and reported with Senators Earll and Gordner voting in the negative due to concerns that the bill would create a crime for poor parenting. Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon. Posted by Kim | Tags: criminal penalty | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, Senate Judiciary | Comments are closed | Share:
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee held a hearing this morning on milk pricing, specifically the over order premium and stranded costs. The committee heard from the Department of Agriculture, which offered two recommended statutory changes, from dairy producers, cooperatives, and milk dealers. Look for the complete story on the Capitol Toolbox this evening. Posted by Kim | Tags: dairy, milk | Category: Public/Informational Committee Hearing, Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs | Comments are closed | Share:
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