Short-term spending plan passed
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Senate on Friday passed an $11 billion short-term spending plan that faces a certain veto by Gov. Tom Wolf amid an entrenched budget stalemate that is forcing schools to take out loans and shutting off some social services.
The stalemate is in its 80th day with no end in sight as the Democratic governor and top Republican lawmakers spar publicly. Meanwhile, leaders of the Legislature’s huge Republican majorities forged ahead with the short-term spending measure, against Wolf’s wishes.
“Let’s let the money flow,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, told colleagues during floor debate Friday. “Let’s let our school districts not have to worry about can they make payments to their employees. Can those employees, can they make their mortgage payment this month? Can they pay the food bill, pay the electric bill because they don’t know if they’re getting a paycheck or not?”
The Senate’s vote was along party lines, 30 to 19, as Democrats stood behind Wolf. The stopgap budget bill, they said, would simply cement in place funding cuts to schools and social services that Republicans had passed in the years before Wolf took office, cuts that he has sought to erase with increases in aid, Democrats argued.
“The people said they wanted to go in a different direction in November 2014,” said Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia.
No new talks between Wolf and top Republican lawmakers were scheduled. On Wednesday, Wolf made a counteroffer involving gestures toward two key GOP demands: that the state privatize its control of wine and liquor sales and replace the traditional pension benefit for future school and state government employees with contributions to a 401(k)-style retirement plan.
Action on the spending package in the Republican-controlled House is scheduled to begin Monday.
