Gov. Rendell's proposal to use $174 million in funds from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Oil and Gas Lease Fund will not need legislative approval, according to more details released this week.

The Governor's Budget Office plans to reduce DCNR General Fund and other line item appropriations and fund them in ways already allowed under the Oil and Gas Fund. In this way, using those funds will not require any additional legislative approval.

$174 million is more than the entire $120.3 million General Fund appropriations the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has in its 2008-09 budget. (See 2008-09 line-items) This debt will have to be made up in the 2009-10 General Fund budget starting July 1

This week the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission released an audit of Senate and House accounts which showed a $220 million budget surplus which could be used in any way the General Assembly determines is needed, such as to balance the state budget.

There is precedent for using the Senate and House legislative surpluses to fund environmental programs.

In 2007, Senate Republicans proposed and the General Assembly and the Gov. Rendell passed legislation to provide $2.5 million from each of the four legislative Caucuses to temporarily fund the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program until a more permanent funding scheme was adopted early in 2008. (12/10/07 Pa Environment Digest)

NewsClips: Letter: Marcellus Shale Tax Revenue Should Go To Environmentalism

Op-Ed: Rendell Spending Is For His Own Agenda

Audit Panel Finds $200 M Surplus In Assembly

Legislature Discloses It Holds $200 Million Surplus

12/19/2008