SUNBURY—The almost two-month long state budget stalemate is approaching a more severe stage. State lawmakers passed the $32 billion spending portion of the budget June 30, but without a revenue package the spending plan is out of balance.
State Rep. Lynda Schlegal Culver (R-108, Sunbury) says, “So, a couple of things have to happen. The Governor will have to look at either ‘A’ making some cuts to the spending plan that we sent to him in June, or ‘B’ the House goes back and takes up either what the Senate proposed to pay for or we come up with an alternative plan.”
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf is urging the House of Representatives to return to Harrisburg to pass a revenue plan. Culver says that’s exactly what they will do, “I think you will probably see some movement here in the next week or so from the House. We have been diligently looking over what the Senate sent to us and any other ways to cut different services or anything we can do to make up that shortfall.”
The state House of Representatives are scheduled to reconvene the second week in September, but Culver says she believes they will be back in Harrisburg before that. Taxes are still being collected and checks are being cut by the Pennsylvania Treasury, but without a loan or an emergency revenue plan the state must start postponing payment on bills or freezing program money.
