Now that school districts and human service agencies will see a much-needed infusion of funding, local state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Tom Wolf to compromise on a no-tax increase budget many months overdue.
In an announcement Tuesday, Wolf line-item vetoed the $30.3 billion Republican budget, while appropriating emergency funding to schools and human service organizations, money that local legislators say should have been released earlier this year.
“After six months of rejecting repeated attempts by the Legislature to get funding out to the agencies and organizations that need it most, Gov. Wolf finally saw the light today and did what he could have done back in June,” said state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, who covers McKean and Cameron counties and most of Potter. “Despite his decision to veto portions of the budget bill, the governor is releasing funds desperately needed by our schools and human service agencies.”
State Rep. Matt Baker, R-Wellsboro, who covers a small portion of Potter County, said the threat of closures of schools and domestic violence/rape crisis centers did not have to occur.
“We all know it would be unacceptable to force schools to close,” said state Rep. Matt Gabler, R-DuBois, whose jurisdiction includes Elk County. “That is why both the House and Senate ensured that a budget arrived on Gov. Wolf’s desk, despite ongoing disagreements among the various parties. We recognized the importance of releasing funds to schools and human service providers. We applaud the governor for recognizing this fact and finally allowing funds to start flowing.”
But legislators say Wolf’s action doesn’t so far enough –– with Pennsylvania heading into seven months without a state budget.
Causer contested Wolf’s claim the Republican spending plan eliminated $95 million in public education funding.
“The reality is it actually increases overall education funding by more than $400 million over last year,” Causer said. “The governor needs to be honest with the taxpayers about what is in this budget, and he needs to be honest about how he plans to pay for the alternative budget he is advocating.”
For his part, Wolf said the Republican budget is unbalanced, raises the deficit and fails to invest in education.
“It does add a modest amount in basic education funding, but then it takes out over $300 million to be used for school construction,” Wolf said in a prepared statement.
However, Causer said Wolf’s $30.8 billion plan would result in major increases in state income tax or sales tax –– or both.
“It’s easy to advocate for higher spending, but it’s irresponsible to do so without explaining how you plan to pay for it,” Causer said. “While I remain as frustrated as anyone with the lack of a full-year budget, I recognize the final plan must be responsible and affordable for the people who have to foot the bill and will continue to fight for that.”
And, Gabler said, the real problem at the forefront of the budget stalemate must be confronted: Tax increases. Many proposals to raise taxes have been shot down “by wide, bipartisan margins over the past six months,” Gabler said. Such proposals would be needed to fund Wolf’s spending plans, he said.
Pennsylvania is already in the top 10 most tax burdened states in the United States, Baker said.
The legislator said Wolf wants lawmakers to get back to work and keep on pursuing his spending plan that contains tax increases.
“This is the third budget we have passed and sent to the governor only to have him veto insisting on massive tax increases for which the vast majority of my constituents strongly oppose,” Baker said. “We will continue to work on all aspects of the state budget notwithstanding his obsession with increasing taxes and his recent press conference rant that was extremely unprofessional, lacking civility that exhibited a governor not willing to accept the three state budgets passed by the House and Senate who have heard loud and clear that the majority of Pennsylvanians have no appetite for his extremely liberal agenda of increased taxes, spending and borrowing.”
Sen. President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, said over the past year, the Wolf team has placed their desire for a tax and spending agenda above Pennsylvanians.
Wolf has pointed fingers at everyone, except himself, Scarnati said. In fact, part of the blame lies in the governor’s inability to move the state ahead, he said.
“It is very disconcerting that he failed to gain any support from House Democrats for a pension bill that he agreed to. We have been very clear throughout negotiations that there is no compromise agreement without including pension reform,” said Scarnati, whose jurisdiction includes Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter counties.
Now, Scarnati is calling on Wolf to be a leader and get a full budget passed.
“It is time to reset the chess pieces and work together to move this state forward and bring about a long-term budget solution. We will continue conversations with the governor and Senate –– Republican and Democrat –– to come to a reality-based budget solution,” Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, and House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana County, said in a joint statement.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-State College, also chimed in on Wolf’s announcement.
“Today’s announcement that the governor will finally be releasing federal funds for education is welcomed, but this news should have come many months ago,” he said. “The governor mentioned today that he did not want to hold students ‘hostage,’ but that is precisely what he has done for the past six months.”
Federal funds to be distributed would be used to fight against poverty faced by low-income, disadvantaged and disabled students.
