Pa. House panel passes $31.6B budget plan

(Harrisburg) — The state legislature has taken an unexpected first step toward passing this year’s budget, with a House committee approving a $31.6 billion spending plan last night.

With a June 30^th deadline looming, the House Appropriations Committee has passed a budget bill that boosts spending by nearly five percent from last fiscal year.

Democratic committee Chair Joseph Marcosek notes the strong cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.

“This is another uncharted area where Chairman Adolph and I are pretty much in agreement on this particular issue,” he said.

The budget adds funding for basic education,  corrections and drug and alcohol treatment.

Majority chair, Republican William Adolph, says he’s  optimistic about its fate in the other caucuses.

“We hope to move this bill out of the House and into the Senate,” he said. “But quite frankly, I feel a lot better this year than I did last year.”

The bill will be paid for, in part, by tax hikes on tobacco products, with cigarettes potentially going up by one dollar per pack.

But Senate leadership on both sides already were warning they didn’t agree to the House-passed plan.

Governor Tom  Wolf’s spokesman says he’s looking for a balanced budget with boosts in funding for heroin treatment.

“As Governor Wolf has said, he is focused on a final budget that is balanced with sustainable revenue, invests in education, and provides funding to combat the heroin crisis,” said spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan. “The governor looks forward to continuing to work with the legislature, and as the budget moves through the process, he is hopeful all sides can reach an agreement that achieves these goals.”

The proposal would increase K-12 education spending by $200 million, or about three percent, and provide money to address the state’s opioid drug crisis.

The full House is expected to consider the plan today.