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Governor Ed Rendell and House Democratic leaders said Thursday after the latest round of budget negotiations that they can’t foresee supporting any budget that spends less than the $28.2 billion proposal Senate Republicans are now considering. How the $28.2 billion is allocated remains a subject of debate, they said, but Democrats have already trimmed $800 million from the governor’s original $29 billion proposal. Posted by Mike | Tags: Budget | Category: Capitol View, News and Views | Comments are closed | Share:
Leaders from the four caucuses re-engaged in budget negotiations Wednesday morning, with two Republican officials saying afterward discussion focused on possible federal medical assistance funding and determining how much revenue the state has to spend. The talks came a day after Democrats and Governor Ed Rendell announced they would pursue closed-door negotiations instead of trying to approve a tax package in the House. The latest failed attempt to approve new taxes in the House came Tuesday, after several rank-and-file members voiced dissent about the measure during floor debate. Continue reading Legislative leaders re-engage in budget negotiations Posted by Mike | Tags: Budget, severance tax, taxation | Category: Capitol View, News and Views | One comment - (Comments are closed) | Share:
By Alex Roarty The federal government’s rejection of Pennsylvania’s Interstate 80 tolling application Tuesday left state government officials scrambling to come up with alternatives to fund the state’s transportation infrastructure, which could be left with a nearly $500 million gap in funding if a solution isn’t found by the new fiscal year. Although the rejection was celebrated by some lawmakers, particularly those who represent areas alongside or near the highway, all of them agreed they still must find a way to fund the state’s decaying network roads, bridges and mass transit systems. Continue reading Rendell, lawmakers react to federal rejection of I-80 tolling application Posted by Mike | Tags: mass transit, Transportation | Category: Capitol View, News and Views | Comments are closed | Share:
Welcome back to another edition of Pennsylvania’s only political and state government podcast. This week, John Micek of the Morning Call, Alex Roarty of PLS, and Scott Detrow of PA Public Radio delve into a suddenly heating up Democratic gubernatorial primary. Dan Onorato hit the air last week: How will the rest of the field respond? Continue reading Podcast: As deficits grow, what options do lawmakers have? House Democrats said Tuesday they plan to conduct “business as usual” on the floor despite news the attorney general will announce another round of “Bonusgate” charges at 1 p.m. Â ”It’s going to be a busy day, but we think we’re going to get a lot done,” said Bob Caton, spokesman for Keith McCall. He said the House has no plans to abandon table games legislation, set to come up for a vote on third consideration later today. Caton also said the House does not plan to suspend the rules to consider bill earlier today. Posted by Kim | Category: Capitol View, LBFC, News and Views, Senate Education, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy, Update | Comments are closed | Share:
By Alex Roarty Legislative leaders and Governor Ed Rendell could be close to striking another budget agreement after the majority parties in each chamber revealed Monday that they support what appear to be nearly identical budget proposals. But they continue to remain divided about the best and fastest way to implement a possible deal, whether through a new bill in the Senate or the legislative Conference Committee. The Senate Republican proposal, the details of which were sent to reporters Monday evening, includes a spend level of $27.835 billion. It delays phase-out of the Capitol Stock and Franchise, leases additional state land for natural gas drilling, redirects 25 cents of the cigarette tax to the General Fund, and allows table games in casinos, among other smaller proposals. Continue reading Budget Agreement Near, But Sides Question How to Proceed Posted by Kim | Category: Capitol View, LBFC, News and Views, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy | Comments are closed | Share:
Senate Republican leaders told reporters Monday afternoon that they have crafted a new budget proposal but want to advance it with new legislation in the Senate, not via the legislative Conference Committee. The leadership team spoke to reporters a half-hour before the Conference Committee was set to reconvene and possibly approve a spending bill. The two Senate Republican members part of the committee, Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman (R-Centre) and Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), said earlier in the day they would not attend the meeting, which has since been postponed to 4 p.m. Posted by Kim | Tags: Budget | Category: Capitol View, Face to Face, LBFC, News and Views, Press Conference, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy | Comments are closed | Share:
Rendell Expects His Budget Veto Will Be Overriden by Alex Roarty Governor Ed Rendell said Monday he will sign the legislative “three-caucus†$27.945 billion budget deal only if lawmakers increase its spending and include additional revenue streams – two changes legislators have made clear they won’t accept. The governor’s declaration likely means he will be forced to veto the bill, and on that front the state’s chief executive offered a surprising prediction, at least coming from him: He expects the legislature will override his veto, and he’s not even sure he’ll work to stop it. “I expect my veto will be overridden,†Governor Rendell told reporters at an afternoon press conference. “I will try to move fast when I veto it so that they can override it the next day and we can get money flowing to non-profits and others that are feeling the pinch.†He clarified later that he not only expects lawmakers to try and override, he also thinks they will be successful. Veto overrides require a two-thirds margin in each chamber — 33 votes in the Senate, and 136 in the House. Despite his objections to the budget, Governor Rendell said he has “mixed feelings†about Continue reading Rendell Expects his Budget Veto will be Overriden Posted by Kim | Tags: Budget | Category: Capitol View, LBFC, News and Views, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy | Comments are closed | Share:
After Late-Night Talks, Lawmakers Think Gov Might Get on Board Budget Deal by Alex Roarty  House Democratic and Senate Republican leaders spent nearly two hours Sunday night trying to persuade Governor Ed Rendell to accept to the “three-caucus” budget agreement engineered late last week without his approval, and they told reporters afterward they are hopeful the governor could come on board before the bill reaches his desk.  But Democrats and Republicans reiterated they remain committed to the inter-party budget deal, its $27.945 billion spending number, and revenue-raising options despite the governor’s objections.  “I’m hopeful that we can get the governor on board,” said Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Minority Appropriations Chairman. “I think this evening signals that we have an opportunity to do that.”  Republican and Democratic legislators said they are willing to compromise on how to allocate some spending in their budget. The governor had previously taken issue with certain reductions in the education spending and said he wanted to make about $55 million more in cuts.  But Speaker of the House Keith McCall (D-Carbon), continually peppered with questions by reporters, said any compromise wouldn’t include changing the budget’s total spend number or the way Continue reading After Late-Night Talks, Lawmakers Think Gov Might Get on Board Budget Deal Posted by Kim | Tags: Budget | Category: Capitol View, LBFC, News and Views, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy | Comments are closed | Share:
by Alex Roarty House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne) told reporters Friday evening that he has asked his caucus to return to the Capitol early Monday morning to discuss sending Senate Bill 850 to the governor’s desk so the chief executive can blue-line all line-items save basic government operations. The move would allow the state to pay nearly 80,000 of its employees, who Friday experienced a payless payday because of the budget impasse Continue reading… Posted by Mike | Tags: Budget, Mechanics' Lien Law, payless payday, Reapportionment | Category: Capitol View, LBFC, News and Views, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy | Comments are closed | Share:
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