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D-Day Arrives For State Budget, 15 Voting Days Left Until June 30
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With only 15 voting days scheduled between now and the June 30 deadline for a new state budget, the real work of getting agreement on budget items between the Senate, House and Gov. Corbett begins in earnest. The good news reported this week of higher than estimated May revenues is both an opportunity to limit the impact of significant budget cuts proposed by Gov. Corbett and a challenge for House Republicans and the Governor to keep spending at their magic number of $27.3 billion. Revenues were a scant $33.9 million, or 1.9 percent, more than anticipated bringing the year-to-date "surplus" to $539.4 million, or 2.3 percent, above estimate.
The issue of whether to adopt a severance tax or impact fee on the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry is also up in the air.
Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) is pushing hard for Committee consideration of his impact fee proposal in the Senate. But this week his partner in Leadership, Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), announced he will introduce legislation imposing a severance tax on the industry with the proceeds going for senior citizen property tax relief. Sen. Pileggi said he did support Sen. Scarnati's impact fee proposal, however. (see separate article)
The fate of the Growing Greener Program, which has all but run out of money, is also up in the air.
“Funding for Growing Greener will run dry unless the state Legislature and Gov. Corbett act now to renew it,” said Andrew Heath, Executive Director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition. “Even through these difficult economic times, Pennsylvanians from across the Commonwealth understand the incredible importance of renewing funding for Growing Greener in order to ensure families have access to clean drinking water, fresh air and green open spaces.”
Since its establishment, Growing Greener has created a legacy of success, preserving more than 34,000 acres of Pennsylvania’s family farmland, conserving more than 42,300 acres of threatened open space, adding 26,000 acres to state parks and forests, and restoring over 16,000 acres of abandoned mine lands.
The next few weeks are critical to these issues as well as funding level for Pennsylvania's environmental agencies.
Over the last eight years, over $1.3 billion in environmental funding has been diverted to balance the state budget or given to programs which could not get funding on their own. Gov. Corbett's proposed budget isn't pretty, but the House Republican budget makes additional cuts to environmental agencies.
Where will it all end up? Stay tuned!
NewsClips: Funding Cuts For Growing Greener To Be Discussed In Doylestown Leadership Pittsburgh Grads Say Tax The Marcellus Gas Pileggi Proposes Severance Tax To Help Seniors Pilleggi Wants Severance Tax For Property Tax Freeze For Seniors Two More Severance Tax Proposals In The Mix
Can Rep. Miccarelli Cut The Gordian Knot On A Severance Tax? Rep. Miccarelli To Propose Gas Drilling Tax |
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6/6/2011 |
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