Democrats+end+stalemate+on+state+funds+for+universities

=By Tracie Mauriello= =//Published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette//= =//6/28/11//= = = = = =HARRISBURG -- Lawmakers this afternoon took a step toward rescuing state funding for the University of Pittsburgh and four other state-related schools.= =The schools became pawns in a partisan debate over state spending when Democrats Monday night withheld votes on bills to provide $515 million to Pitt, Penn State University, Temple University, Lincoln University and the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school.= =Those bills are the only pieces of the state budget package that require a two-thirds vote for approval. That made them a target for members of the minority party who wanted to leverage more money for the schools and for programs in the general fund.= =In a show of power Monday night, Senate Democrats defeated bills to fund all five schools. Meanwhile, in the House Democrats allowed funding for Lincoln but blocked funding for the other four schools.= =House Democrats reversed themselves this afternoon, overwhelmingly approving funding. The Senate is expected to follow suit this evening.= =Earlier today, Gov. Tom Corbett decried Monday night's action.= ="This is not the time to play chicken with the future of our children and our students," he told reporters during a press conference in the Capitol rotunda. "Democrats will have to answer ... to the people sending their children to those schools."= =The universities receive between 8 and 20 percent of their overall funding from the state.= =Pitt is in line to receive $136 million, down from the current $168 million appropriation.= =Democrats say it's irresponsible to cut universities -- and funding to other line items -- when there's an estimated $700 million surplus this year.= =Mr. Corbett agrees that revenue collections exceeded expectations but said it's wrongheaded to count on that trend to continue.= ="Yes, more revenue has come in but we still have a deficit," he said.= =Read more: [] = = = =News= =home=