State Budget and Taxes

A Look at School Code Changes

Posted by Christopher Lilienthal on June 29, 2012 4:13 pm
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In addition to passing a state budget, the General Assembly is moving legislative changes to the state’s Public School Code and other education-related changes before the end of session. The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has an overview of the changes.

Morning Must Reads: With Help from State, Harrisburg May Save Kindergarten

Posted by Jamar Thrasher on June 29, 2012 9:48 am
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In May, the Harrisburg School District contemplated what some might have thought unthinkable — eliminating kindergarten to help plug a budget gap. After deep state cuts to education last year and little hope for more funding in the state's next budget, the school board thought it had little choice as it tried to bridge a $6.6 million deficit.

Corbett Administration Wants Human Services Block Grant Lite

Posted by Sharon Ward on June 28, 2012 4:58 pm
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There is still no agreement on the Human Services Block Grant, and the details of a proposed pilot program continue to stall progress on the budget. 

An Added Layer of Bureaucracy

Posted by Christopher Lilienthal on June 27, 2012 6:35 pm
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As nonprofit providers of human services work to do more with less after years of state cutbacks, lawmakers are planning to give them one more thing to do.

A Closer Look at the State Budget

Details of the 2012-13 state budget agreement have emerged with the release of spreadsheets Tuesday, and some details of the code language that will accompany the budget.

State Budget Details Emerge Today

Posted by Christopher Lilienthal on June 26, 2012 8:02 pm
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Note: Sharon Ward has more on the budget in a blog post here.

Legislative leaders released line item details of the 2012-13 state budget today. The plan largely resembles a budget bill passed by the Senate last month, with a few exceptions.

Most notably, it does not include a plan, backed by Governor Corbett and included in the earlier Senate budget, to pool funding for seven separate county services into a new block grant.

Lawmaker Proposes Pilot Program for County Block Grant

Posted by Christopher Lilienthal on June 26, 2012 7:20 am
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With less than a week to go until the state budget deadline, policymakers in Harrisburg are still at odds over how to fund county services for children, the homeless and people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.

Governor Tom Corbett is holding firm on his plan to cut funding for a number of county human service programs and roll it all into a new block grant, despite opposition among Republicans and Democrats in the state House.

Daily Must Reads: Budget Cuts HIt General Assistance, County Human Services, Early Childhood Education

Posted by Alan Bowie on June 25, 2012 2:55 pm
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With the race to finish the state budget under way in Harrisburg, newspapers are taking a look at the fallout of budget cuts and how they will hurt citizens across Pennsylvania. WHYY's Newsworks reports that the state is getting ready to cut off General Assistance benefits effective next month, but no one is telling the people who will be directly impacted.

Third and State This Week: State Budget Framework, Public-Sector Job Losses and Liquor Privatization Stalls

This week at Third and State, we blogged about the $27.65 billion budget framework announced by the governor and legislative leaders, the stalled debate over liquor privatization in Pennsylvania, how public-sector job losses have hurt the broader economy, teacher layoffs in Reading, and much more.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

  • On the state budget, Chris Lilienthal highlighted news reports on the $27.65 billion budget framework announced by Governor Tom Corbett and legislative leaders and followed up with a roundup of news reports as budget details began to emerge.
  • Intern Alan Bowie stepped up this week to write Morning Must Reads:
    • On Monday, he highlighted news stories on teacher layoffs in Reading and reining in the sales tax vendor discount.
    • On Tuesday, he summed up a news report on Washington State's experience with liquor privatization and new estimates putting Pennsylvania's June revenue surplus at $100 million.
    • And on Wednesday, he had a roundup that included a look at how public-sector layoffs are hurting the broader economy and news that debate on a liquor privatization bill stalled in the House and will be pushed to the fall.

More blog posts next week. Keep us bookmarked and join the conversation!

Morning Must Reads: Governor Corbett, Legislative Leaders Agree on State Budget, Cracker Tax Credit

The big news this morning is that Governor Tom Corbett and state legislative leaders have reached agreement on the framework for a $27.65 billion state budget. The framework was announced after reports of an expected revenue surplus in June of $100 million. (The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center noted last week that the state's revenue outlook has improved significantly in recent months.)

Budget negotiators are keeping mum on the details of the plan until rank-and-file lawmakers can weigh in. The overall budget framework is a step up from the cut-heavy plan the governor unveiled in February. But as The Associated Press reports, it is still likely to include a 10% cut to county human services, the elimination of a modest benefit for temporarily disabled adults who are out of work, and new tax cuts for businesses.

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