Pa. House sends spending plan to veto

Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa.

After more than two hours of angry debate Thursday, the state House of Representatives passed a short-term spending plan that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has vowed to veto without broader agreement on how to end a nearly three-month budget stalemate.

The 117-83 vote on the Republican majority’s $11 billion spending plan was along party lines as Democrats stood by Wolf.

Pennsylvania is just one of two states – along with Illinois – whose deep partisan divide in state government has stymied the passage of a budget since the fiscal year began July 1. Intermittent closed-door negotiations held since then have produced little, if any, progress as counties, school districts and nonprofit social services organizations borrow money or postpone payments to contractors.

The ripple effect is causing layoffs and waiting lists for the elderly seeking day-to-day help in their homes and domestic violence victims or the nearly homeless seeking help to get a place to stay.

Just after the bill passed, a closed-door meeting between Wolf and top Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the governor’s office broke up without anyone appearing to narrow their divides over fiscal policy, education funding, public pensions and the state-controlled wine and liquor store system.

Republicans are asking a volley of questions about the governor’s counteroffer involving gestures toward two key GOP demands: that the state privatize its control of wine and liquor sales and replace the traditional pension benefit for future school and state government employees with contributions to a 401(k)-style retirement plan.