June 30, 2016

Gov. Wolf Will Sign General Fund Budget Bill As Soon As Sustainable Revenue Package Is Passed

Gov. Wolf issued this statement after the House voted to send the General Fund budget bill-- Senate Bill 1073 (Browne-R-Lehigh)-- to his desk--
         “I want to commend leaders and members in both chambers for passing a bi-partisan, compromise budget that invests more money in early childhood, K through 12 and higher education, and also provides vital resources to combat the heroin crisis. I am pleased that working together we took this important step to move the Commonwealth forward.
         "I will sign the General Appropriations bill as soon as there is a sustainable revenue package to pay for it, and I look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to achieve this.”
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House Concurs In Senate General Fund Budget Sending It To Gov. Wolf, Now To Pay For It

The House voted 144 to 54 to concur in the Senate-passed FY 2016-17 General Fund budget bill--  Senate Bill 1073 (Browne-R-Lehigh) sending it to Gov. Wolf for his action.
The total General Fund budget is $31.52 billion, after moving some spending off the General Fund ledger.
The bill increases higher education line items by 2.5 percent and funding for Community Colleges to $232,111,000 from the $226,450,000 the House had in its version of the budget.
The budget numbers for DEP and DCNR are about the same as the House.  The Senate did increase the Heritage Parks Program line-item to $2.8 million from the $2.25 million the House approved.
The budget bill also includes an increase in DCNR’s in-lieu of tax payments for State Forest land.
Both the Heritage Parks and in-lieu of tax payment authorizing language is now in House Bill 1605 (James-R-Butler) as an amendment to the Fiscal Code.  The bill is due to be taken up by the Senate Appropriations Committee Friday.
Click Here for a spreadsheet from Senate Republicans showing differences between FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17 Senate-passed budget.  Click Here for a Senate Fiscal Note and summary.   Click Here for a narrative summary by the House Democratic Appropriations Committee staff.
No Agreement On Revenue Package
There is not yet any agreement on a revenue package to support the budget in Senate Bill 1073.
The House proposed four sources of revenue to fund its budget proposal: 1) $267 million for expanded gaming in House Bill 2150 (Dunbar-R-Westmoreland) authorizing 6 new types of gaming, including iGaming, slots at airports and off-track betting parlors, is still in the Senate Community, Economic and Recreation Development Committee [there are potentially several other legislative vehicles in the Senate]; 2) $129 million for tax amnesty in House Bill 1888 (Quinn-R- Montgomery), now in the Senate Appropriations Committee; 3) $480 million increase in tobacco taxes, including new taxes on chewing, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products (the cigar exemption remains), which the House has not acted on yet; and 4) $150 million in revenue from the liquor reforms already signed into law.
While nothing is for sure, House Bill 1198 (Barrar-R-Delaware), making changes to the Tax Code, was nonconcurred in by the Senate and House in December as part of the FY 2015-16 budget consideration and could be used as a vehicle for tax changes as part of a conference committee deliberation.
The House now expects to be in town through Saturday.
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Gov. Wolf Will Sign General Fund Budget Bill As Soon As Sustainable Revenue Package Is Passed

Thursday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

Legislature, Governor Have Until Midnight Tonight To Pass An On-Time Budget.  Senate, House, Governor do not yet agree on General Fund line-items or how to fund that budget.
Click Here for Senate-passed budget line-item spreadsheet.
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June 29, 2016

Senate Returns General Fund Budget Bill To House With 2.5% Higher Ed Increase

The Senate Republicans and Democrats Wednesday amended and passed the House FY 2016-17 General Fund budget bill-- Senate Bill 1073 (Browne-R-Lehigh) by a vote of 47 to 3.  The bill now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.
The Senate increased higher education line items by 2.5 percent generally and funding for Community Colleges to $232,111,000 from the $226,450,000 the House had in its version of the budget.
Overall, the Senate decreased the overall spending in the bill slightly.  It now totals $31.52 billion, rather than $31.55 billion.
Click Here for a spreadsheet from Senate Republicans showing differences between FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17 Senate-passed budget.
It is not clear whether the changes are agreed-to by the House or Gov. Wolf.
Senate Republican leaders issued the following statement on Senate Bill 1073 which would support the core functions of government, and allocate $245 million in new funding for basic education, special education, and Pre-K Counts without the need for new or increased income or sales taxes. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson): "Today, the Senate has passed a bi-partisan budget, which takes the next step in completing an on-time and balanced 2016-17 budget by the June 30th deadline. Senate Bill 1073 makes substantial investments in education and vital state services – helping to strengthen our Commonwealth." Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre): "Day after day, I heard from people in my communities that they could not endure another budget impasse but at the same time could not withstand a massive tax increase. Today, we showed that we were listening by approving a spending plan that funds the priorities of state government, including continuing to provide significant money toward all levels of education, without asking for a broad-based tax increase." Senate Appropriations Majority Chair Pat Browne (R-Lehigh): "In recognizing the financial struggles the Commonwealth continues to face, this budget provides a fiscally responsible and modest increase in spending for vital state programs and services, while protecting hard working families and job creators from onerous tax increases and burdens. This budget also recognizes the need to invest in our children and their futures by increasing funding for basic education, early intervention programs, special education and higher education."
Gov. Wolf issued this statement on the Senate action, “I would like to thank Senators Scarnati, Corman and Costa, as well as their colleagues for their leadership in passing a budget that invests more money in early childhood, K through 12 and higher education, and also provides vital resources in combatting the heroin crisis. As the budget moves through the process, I look forward to continuing to engage with the legislature to discuss a sustainable revenue package.”
There is not yet agreement on any revenue package to support this budget.
House Sources Of New Revenues
The House proposed four sources of revenue to fund its budget proposal: 1) $267 million for expanded gaming in House Bill 2150 (Dunbar-R-Westmoreland) authorizing 6 new types of gaming, including iGaming, slots at airports and off-track betting parlors, now in the Senate Community, Economic and Recreation Development Committee [there are potentially several other legislative vehicles in the Senate]; 2) $129 million for tax amnesty in House Bill 1888 (Quinn-R- Montgomery), now on the Senate Calendar for action; 3) $480 million increase in tobacco taxes, including new taxes on chewing, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products (the cigar exemption remains), which the House has not acted on yet; and 4) $150 million in revenue from the liquor reforms already signed into law.
A copy of the Senate Bill 1073 amendment is available online.
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Wednesday PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

Senate Rules Committee is scheduled to consider the House-passed General Fund budget bill -- Senate Bill 1073-- in an off-the-floor meeting today.
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June 28, 2016

House Passes Its Budget, Gambling Expansion, But There’s No Agreement With The Senate, Gov. Wolf

House Republicans and Democrats Tuesday voted 132 to 69 to pass Senate Bill 1073 (Browne-R-Lehigh) containing its bipartisan FY 2016-17 General Fund budget proposal totaling $31.55 billion.
But, the House budget proposal has not been agreed to by Gov. Wolf or Senate Republicans.  Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), leader of a conservative bloc of Republicans opposed the budget on the House Floor because the “spend number is way too high.”
“Many of us worked together, in bipartisan fashion, to put a good and balanced budget together. We are investing in our schools by increasing PreK-12 and basic education funding by more than $250 million,” said House Majority David Reed (R-Indiana).  “The state’s share of school employee pension payments total another $345 million. All told, this budget increases the state’s share of school funding to a historic high of approximately $11.5 billion for PreK-12 education.
“This budget also deals with mandated spending increases in corrections, human services and public pension obligations – without placing a broad-based tax burden on residents or employers. For the second year in a row, we are standing up for Pennsylvania taxpayers by holding the line on the governor’s original tax-and-spend proposals. In fact, we cut $675 million from the Department of Human Services budget.
“The budget follows the bipartisan passage of important issues everybody has been talking about:  wine privatization and modernizing liquor sales, reforming the public pension systems, as well as legalizing medical cannabis.
“We urge the Senate to pass the bill quickly and for the governor to sign it, in order to avoid another lengthy budget impasse.”
Jeffrey Sheridan, Gov. Wolf’s spokesperson, said in reaction to the House action yesterday, “As Gov. Wolf has said, he is focused on a final budget that is balanced with sustainable revenue, invests in education, and provides funding to combat the heroin crisis. The governor looks forward to continuing to work with the legislature, and as the budget moves through the process, he is hopeful all sides can reach an agreement that achieves these goals.”
Click Here for a copy of the line-item budget spreadsheet for the FY 2016-17 budget amendment. Click Here for General Fund Financial Statement for Senate Bill 1073 posted by House Republicans.
The House also passed House Bill 2150 (Dunbar-R-Westmoreland) authorizing 6 new types of gaming, including iGaming, slots at airports and off-track betting parlors, but no video gaming machines, by a vote of 114 to 85. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.
But, again, there is no agreement with the Senate and Gov. Wolf on its provisions.
Spending
Rep. Bill Adolph (R-Delaware), Majority Chair of the Committee, said the bill includes a $200 million increase in basic education funding, $20 million in pre-K funding, $5 million for Headstart, $20 million special education and a $345 million increase in pension payments for school employees, the first time in 15 years the state is meeting its obligations.
Community College funding remains the same as in FY 2015-16, as does higher education generally.
Rep. Adolph said the proposal addresses some environmental funding issues, including restoring Growing Greener Program funding and using about $44 million in General Fund monies to support DCNR’s General Government, State Park and Forest Operations rather than Oil and Gas Lease Fund revenues.
The proposal includes $2.25 million for the Heritage Parks Program.
The Department of Environmental Protection receives a 3.6 percent increase, which represents little more than a cost-to-carry budget.  The only line item to get a real increase in DEP’s budget was for a new combined West Nile Virus and Zika Virus Program line which received $1.4 million more.
Rep. Joseph Markosek (D-Allegheny), Minority Chair of the Committee, said the proposal does not entirely eliminate one-time revenue measures, but they are at an historic low.
He also noted, the $31.5 billion would eliminate the threat of state employee layoffs.
Taxes
The proposal is to be funded, based on what we know now, by a $480 million increase in tobacco taxes, including new taxes on chewing, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products (the cigar exemption remains); $317 million in expanded gaming, including $267 million from iGaming, slots at airports and off-track betting parlors, $50 million from the second casino in Philadelphia; about $150 million from liquor reforms already signed into law; and $129 million from a new tax amnesty program
A natural gas gross receipts tax is not included in the proposed budget.
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