House+approves+budget

=By Robert Swift= =//Published in the Scranton Times-Tribune//= =//6/29/11//= = = = = =HARRISBURG - The $27.15 billion state budget won final legislative approval today on a mainly party-line vote in the House, thereby giving Harrisburg Republicans bragging rights to achieving an on-time budget after years of missed legal deadlines.= =The budget, approved 109-92, now goes to Gov. Tom Corbett for signing, ahead of the start Friday of the 2011-12 fiscal year.= =Meeting the deadline, however, does not obscure the heated political exchanges about whether the final budget goes far enough to restore spending to deep cuts proposed by Mr. Corbett in March to deal with chronic fiscal problems, long-term debt and the end of federal stimulus aid.= =The 2011-12 budget contains no new taxes or Marcellus Shale levies and spends 4 percent less than the current budget, channels $5.3 billion in state instruction subsidies to school districts, provides $2 million through a new funding source for the Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, cuts public welfare spending by $400 million from what the governor proposed in March and leaves an anticipated $700 million state tax revenue surplus mostly untouched.= =The House rejected a parliamentary move to add $34.5 million to the state Department of Environmental Protection's budget and cut a similar amount from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, an economic development arm.= =The sponsor, Rep. Greg Vitali, D-166, Havertown, said DEP has experienced staffing and program cuts while its job gets tougher.= ="We do this at a time when the responsibilities are increasing for the department with 50,000 (Marcellus) wells coming on line in the next decade or two," he added.= =But his motion was defeated 88-111 after House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-28, Pittsburgh,said the transfer would hurt the authority's ability to pay off debt.= =School aid woes were on the mind of several Northeast Pennsylvania Democrats.= =The surplus should be used to restore more state aid to Scranton School District and revive the state Adultbasic health care program for the working poor, said Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-113, Scranton.= ="I am afraid the quality of education is going to be compromised," he added.= ="How can you expect to make cuts and not impact childrens' education?" said Rep. Ken Smith, D-112, Dunmore.= ="The cuts to school districts are not equitable," said Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-120, Kingston, citing deeper cuts to districts with higher proportions of poorer students.= =GOP lawmakers from Northeast Pennsylvania took a different view.= =The budget provides a 75 percent restoration of funding for trauma hospitals, burn centers and neonatal centers despite the fiscal constraints, said Rep. Matt Baker, R-68, Wellsboro.= =The budget contains cost saving measures for the Department of Public Welfare and Department of Corrections that were recommended by a Senate cost study commission, said Sen. David Argall, R-29, Tamaqua, who chaired that commission.= ="Our budget reduces the spending in our state prisons, which reverses the trend of massive growth for the first time in over 30 years," he added.= = Read more: [] =

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