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Senate, House Had $118M Surplus In 2015-16; 21% Increase In Budget Since 2003

The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission Monday accepted the audit report of the General Assembly’s financing which revealed a surplus of $118,442,957 as of June 30, 2016.

“Reserve funds are necessary to ensure the continued and independent operation of the General Assembly,” said Commission Chair Rep. Mark Keller (R-Cumberland). “As recently as two years ago, we had to draw down from these reserves during the lengthy budget impasse about whether to increase sales and income taxes, or control spending.”

Rep. Keller pointed out that the current reserve is about $90 million less than it was 10 years ago, when it totaled more than $210 million.

Below is a breakdown of the reserves included in the audit (as of June 30, 2016):

-- Senate – $23,348,536;

-- House of Representatives – $56,903,139;

-- Legislative Reference Bureau – $6,627,653;

-- Legislative Budget and Finance Committee – $1,352,783;

-- Legislative Data Processing Committee – $14,283,218;

-- Joint State Government Commission – $920,934;

-- Local Government Commission – $631,190;

-- Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control Commission – $376,685;

-- LAAC – $222,000;

-- Independent Regulatory Review Commission – $1,491,058;

-- Capitol Preservation Committee – $3,178,473;

-- Independent Fiscal Office – $2,755,627;

-- Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission – $1,003,999;

-- Commonwealth Mail Processing Center – $4,623,721; and

-- Center for Rural Pennsylvania – $723,941.

“Our goal is to make the audit documents easy to understand and fully accessible to Pennsylvania citizens,” Rep. Keller added. “The public is encouraged to go to the website and review them.”

The full report will be posted on the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission webpage.

Senate/House Budget History

In FY 1994-95 the Senate and House General Fund budget was $182.9 million. In FY 2002-03 the budget for the House and Senate was $258.1 million and was increased to $312.9 million in FY 2016-17.

In the last 23 years, the budget for the General Assembly increased 71 percent. In the last 14 years, it increased 21 percent.

NewsClips:

Murphy: Legislature Ended 2016 With $118M Surplus Despite Budget Impasse

Audit: PA Legislature Has Nearly $120 Million Surplus

Swift: State Lawmakers Sit On $118 Million Surplus

Op-Ed: We Must Keep Pennsylvania Growing Greener

Hayes: Federal Funding Cuts To Environmental Programs Proposed

Trump Budget: Significant Cut To PA Environmental Protection Resources

EPA Cuts Would Hurt Environmental Monitoring In Western PA