Rendell, Leaders Announce Budget
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Governor Ed Rendell and legislative leaders have agreed on a nearly $28 billion spending plan that would raise cigarette taxes and extend the state's sales tax to concert and theater tickets.
The plan would also take money from the state's rainy day fund and the account that helps doctors pay for malpractice insurance, as well as legalize table games at casinos.
"We are all very pleased, extremely pleased, to bring something to the table that has taken a lot of time (and) we wish we would have been able to do sooner," said Lt. Governor Joe Scarnati. "But it has met the priorities and the goals of those of us here. Although there are compromises made, none of us compromised our principles."
Pennsylvania's fiscal year started on July 1, and the state is the last in the country to agree to a budget plan.
The plan still requires legislative approval, and Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi said the bills will start to move in the House and Senate next week. Without a rule suspension, it takes a new bill three days to move.
Pileggi said it's more likely that all the budget-related bills will be passed the week after next.
Rendell said they wouldn't be releasing details of the plan to the media until rank-and-file lawmakers get a chance to review them.
"The first obligation is not to have the members read it in the newspapers," Rendell said, "because you may be shocked to hear that the newspapers are not always entirely accurate … and we want to make sure the members get the numbers."
Rendell said they want to begin work as soon as possible, but Rosh Hashanah started at sundown and many staff members and legislators observe the holiday. He said they will start working out the details of the spending plan in earnest on Sunday.
"We're going to try to minimize the length of time the best we can," Scarnati said. He added that although Senator Bob Mellow was not at the news conference, the minority leader made "some real differences," and was "instrumental in bringing things together."
When asked how Judge Marjorie Rendell – a supporter of the arts – will feel about the tax on concert and theater tickets, the governor said he believes she would say education is the number one priority.
“This agreement does not include the massive personal income tax increase that the governor proposed, but it does invest in education and recognizes the fiscal realities that we face," Scarnati said in a news release.
“We fought for taxpayers and working families who told us that they didn’t want higher taxes and spending,” Scarnati said in the release. “This budget is balanced, it is fiscally responsible, and it meets the needs of the citizens of this Commonwealth.”
The end result is good for Pennsylvania, Rendell said.
(Photo of Scarnati, House Majority Leader Todd Eachus and Rendell courtesy of Carol Maravic Milligan)
WESB/WBRR News Director
Governor Ed Rendell and legislative leaders have agreed on a nearly $28 billion spending plan that would raise cigarette taxes and extend the state's sales tax to concert and theater tickets. The plan would also take money from the state's rainy day fund and the account that helps doctors pay for malpractice insurance, as well as legalize table games at casinos.
"We are all very pleased, extremely pleased, to bring something to the table that has taken a lot of time (and) we wish we would have been able to do sooner," said Lt. Governor Joe Scarnati. "But it has met the priorities and the goals of those of us here. Although there are compromises made, none of us compromised our principles."
Pennsylvania's fiscal year started on July 1, and the state is the last in the country to agree to a budget plan.
The plan still requires legislative approval, and Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi said the bills will start to move in the House and Senate next week. Without a rule suspension, it takes a new bill three days to move.
Pileggi said it's more likely that all the budget-related bills will be passed the week after next.
Rendell said they wouldn't be releasing details of the plan to the media until rank-and-file lawmakers get a chance to review them.
"The first obligation is not to have the members read it in the newspapers," Rendell said, "because you may be shocked to hear that the newspapers are not always entirely accurate … and we want to make sure the members get the numbers."
Rendell said they want to begin work as soon as possible, but Rosh Hashanah started at sundown and many staff members and legislators observe the holiday. He said they will start working out the details of the spending plan in earnest on Sunday.
"We're going to try to minimize the length of time the best we can," Scarnati said. He added that although Senator Bob Mellow was not at the news conference, the minority leader made "some real differences," and was "instrumental in bringing things together."
When asked how Judge Marjorie Rendell – a supporter of the arts – will feel about the tax on concert and theater tickets, the governor said he believes she would say education is the number one priority.
“This agreement does not include the massive personal income tax increase that the governor proposed, but it does invest in education and recognizes the fiscal realities that we face," Scarnati said in a news release.
“We fought for taxpayers and working families who told us that they didn’t want higher taxes and spending,” Scarnati said in the release. “This budget is balanced, it is fiscally responsible, and it meets the needs of the citizens of this Commonwealth.”
The end result is good for Pennsylvania, Rendell said.
(Photo of Scarnati, House Majority Leader Todd Eachus and Rendell courtesy of Carol Maravic Milligan)
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Comments
I know this fund was set up to attract better physicans, but they don't seem any better, in fact worse, than they were before. How about if all of the doctors start paying into a fund to cover all of our insurance needs? I'm sure the 1-2 hour wait in the waiting room wouldn't be quite so bad then.
We need to stop this kind of nonsense.
Sincerely,
Rian Rich
Kane, Pa