HARRISBURG - Presenting a united front, two House and Senate floor leaders said Wednesday that agreement on the next state budget is taking shape while negotiations continue on spending for education and county-run human services programs.
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-28, Pittsburgh, and Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-9, Chester, held closed-door negotiations with a month left to the June 30 budget passage deadline. Both made it clear that the $27.6 billion state budget bill approved by the Senate last month is the starting point for discussions. The Senate bill restores $500 million of spending cuts proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett last February when the state's fiscal picture was more dire.
"We think the Senate bill sets good parameters in keeping us fiscally responsible and balancing the needs of Pennsylvania citizens," Turzai said.
The two majority caucuses are negotiating whether to go beyond the $50 million restoration in the Senate bill for accountability block grants which school districts use to support pre-school and kindergarten programs and tying extra higher education funding to pledges by public universities to limit any student tuition hikes.
The Senate bill would restore $84 million of a $168 million cut proposed by the governor for county programs that offer services ranging from community mental health and disability programs to drug and alcohol treatment. Democratic lawmakers have called for a full restoration.
"That's an item still under discussion," Turzai said.
Pileggi indicated that funding state cash assistance grants to the poor which is zeroed out in the Senate bill is not being discussed despite recent calls by a coalition of faith-based groups to do so.
The next milestone for the budget comes Friday when state tax revenue reports for May are released. GOP leaders are scheduled to meet early next week with Corbett. House lawmakers plan to vote on budget amendments offered on the floor.
