The Man wrote:

One question I have about the PA budget. It is mandated by the PA constitution that a budget be enacted by the end of June 30. So, is there a clause in the constitution that says "unless they don't want to"? If not, why are there no repercussions for the legislature and the governor not fulfilling a duty that is mandated by the constitution? What good is a constitution if they can just ignore it and do whatever they want anyway?

The repercussion is supposed to be that the state will not be have "spending authority" to spend any money.  However things have changed since the PA constitution was written.  Many of the programs run by the state are considered "essential" by the federal government now and operations (and spending) must continue.  Also, a court decision several years ago mandated state employees must be paid during any budget impasse.
 

Schools are close to filing for bankruptcy so a another state budget (#3) will be sent to the Governor that would immediately send money to all the school districts when he signs the bill.
The budget maybe flawed and not what everyone wants but it will keep school from closing. Or will the Governor for the third time veto this budget and plunge many school districts into chaos?

Statement from Sen. Wagner
Wagner Votes to Bring End to Budget Stalemate 

HB 1801 Passes Senate
HARRISBURG – Today Senator Scott Wagner (R-York) joined Senate colleagues in passing a supplemental appropriation bill to bring the 2015-2016 budget stalemate to a close.

“It is time to move on,” stated Wagner during remarks on the Senate floor. “I’m asking everyone in this Chamber to be responsible.  Members on both sides of the aisle have school districts that are borrowing money. I do not know how a single member of this Chamber can go back to their district and face their constituents and not support HB 1801.”House Bill 1801 brings total spending for the 2015-2016 Fiscal Year to $30.031 billion, a $872.6 million (3 percent) increase over the 2014-2015 budget.  The supplemental appropriation includes $6.05 billion in restorations to the line items that Governor Wolf vetoed in December.  Education funding would be increased by more than $200 million.

“Do I think this spending plan is perfect?” remarked Wagner. “No, of course not. It doesn’t address the cost drivers like pensions and health care benefits, but it provides increased education funding, restores cuts made by the Governor, and ultimately, puts overdue money into our schools that so desperately need it – including our charter schools – without raising taxes.”

“Once again, I am loaning money to The Helen Thackston Charter School in York – which is owed $3.6 million by the state – because they continue to be held hostage and can’t make payroll,” stated Wagner.  “That is unacceptable, especially when our corrections facilities have been deemed necessary to continue receiving funding during the budget impasse.  How do prisoners rank higher on the priority list than our students?”
Although HB 1801 passed the Senate, Wagner noted that Governor Wolf has already indicated he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

“The Budget Secretary, while testifying last week during House Appropriations budget hearings, stated that the Governor vetoed the original budget on June 30th and blue lined another budget in December because he wanted to have leverage,” said Wagner in his floor remarks. “Well, leverage is hurting our schools.”
“At the end of the day, the Governor must acknowledge that this budget closes the door on the 2015-2016 budget that is long overdue and allows us to focus on the 2016-2017 budget and bringing about much needed accountability to the tax dollars we are spending,” stated Wagner.

Last edited by Common Sense (3/17/2016 7:34 am)

Common Sense wrote:

Schools are close to filing for bankruptcy so a another state budget (#3) will be sent to the Governor that would immediately send money to all the school districts when he signs the bill.
The budget maybe flawed and not what everyone wants but it will keep school from closing. Or will the Governor for the third time veto this budget and plunge many school districts into chaos?

Statement from Sen. Wagner
Wagner Votes to Bring End to Budget Stalemate 

HB 1801 Passes Senate
HARRISBURG – Today Senator Scott Wagner (R-York) joined Senate colleagues in passing a supplemental appropriation bill to bring the 2015-2016 budget stalemate to a close.

“It is time to move on,” stated Wagner during remarks on the Senate floor. “I’m asking everyone in this Chamber to be responsible.  Members on both sides of the aisle have school districts that are borrowing money. I do not know how a single member of this Chamber can go back to their district and face their constituents and not support HB 1801.”House Bill 1801 brings total spending for the 2015-2016 Fiscal Year to $30.031 billion, a $872.6 million (3 percent) increase over the 2014-2015 budget.  The supplemental appropriation includes $6.05 billion in restorations to the line items that Governor Wolf vetoed in December.  Education funding would be increased by more than $200 million.

“Do I think this spending plan is perfect?” remarked Wagner. “No, of course not. It doesn’t address the cost drivers like pensions and health care benefits, but it provides increased education funding, restores cuts made by the Governor, and ultimately, puts overdue money into our schools that so desperately need it – including our charter schools – without raising taxes.”

“Once again, I am loaning money to The Helen Thackston Charter School in York – which is owed $3.6 million by the state – because they continue to be held hostage and can’t make payroll,” stated Wagner.  “That is unacceptable, especially when our corrections facilities have been deemed necessary to continue receiving funding during the budget impasse.  How do prisoners rank higher on the priority list than our students?”
Although HB 1801 passed the Senate, Wagner noted that Governor Wolf has already indicated he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

“The Budget Secretary, while testifying last week during House Appropriations budget hearings, stated that the Governor vetoed the original budget on June 30th and blue lined another budget in December because he wanted to have leverage,” said Wagner in his floor remarks. “Well, leverage is hurting our schools.”
“At the end of the day, the Governor must acknowledge that this budget closes the door on the 2015-2016 budget that is long overdue and allows us to focus on the 2016-2017 budget and bringing about much needed accountability to the tax dollars we are spending,” stated Wagner.

 
I received the e-mail from Wagner with this press release. This seems to be Scott's new approach on Harrisburg failures: he sends out a press release to further politicize a topic. My response to him this time was the same as the last time he did this: concentrate on doing your job, collaborate, cooperate, and compromise in order to facilitate a solution rather than continuing to fight your petty partisan squabbles through the media. From my perspective, doing your job would be the more likely scenario that will result in problem solving.

Common Sense wrote:

He did his job! They passed a third budget! And what does the Governor do? Issue a threat to veto it again?
There are not going to be any taxes increases this year! That is a non-starter!
 

 
Well, not completely. Their job is to devise and pass a reasonable and balanced budget through negotiations and compromise with the executive branch and department heads. It doesn't look like the legislators passed a balanced budget since they piled on a bunch of supplemental spending programs. Even with the cuts to education, that they say are OK because the schools can find ways around those cuts, the budget doesn't balance. There's a lot of speculation about how somehow sometime in the future these spending vs. income gaps will be filled, but nothing concrete and definite. In order to solve the budget problems, all entities - executive & legislative branches, spending & income sides of the budget, republican & democratic political interests are all going to have to come together, face the facts of the real issues, and make some hard, possibly unpopular decisions and get to a reasonable and balanced budget. But I don't think their are enough people with the brains and intestinal fortitude in Harrisbug to do that right now. So, it's up to the voters to elect the candidates with the right stuff to perform those prescribed duties - if they can find any.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/03/pa_house_democrats_break_ranks.html#incart_river_index

Wolf is holding the schools hostage! 3 different budgets and 3 veto's! If any school files for bankruptcy Wolf will have to answer for it. Wolf is the reason money is not flowing to school now. The only reason!
Wolf had the gall to line item veto money for the school the last time? Why?