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Gov. Rendell set an April 17 deadline for the General Assembly to have a bill with the Growing Greener II bond issue ballot question on his desk, but some counties this week said that may be too late for the question to be included in absentee ballots they must mail out weeks ahead of the May 17 election.
The House already passed an $800 million bond question in House Bill 2 on February 15. The Senate since then has moved the bill into position for a quick, final vote, but any Senate action is likely to change the bill requiring it to go back to the House for a concurrence vote. (PaED 3/21/05)
Gov. Rendell is in full support of House Bill 2 as written.
Senate Republicans have offered the Administration ballot question language that included a $400 million bond issue, with 75 percent of the funds set aside for counties to distribute for Growing Greener-type purposes, and language saying the bond issue would be paid for by new or existing taxes.
What this all means is the fastest a bill could get to the Governor’s desk is the week of April 11 when the House returns to voting session. The Senate will be in session for the next two weeks.
House Bill 3, that holds the language on how the funds would be spent, will remain in the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee until voters approve the ballot question.
Meanwhile, the House takes up the full state budget on April 11. So far more than 167 amendments have been filed to the main budget legislation House Bill 815.
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