pennsylvania-elections-legislature-4aec7b32327b39ed.jpg
Republicans pushed their $30.1 billion budget proposal through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Saturday after Democrats levied concerns about education funding.
(DANIEL SHANKEN)
Republicans pushed their $30.1 billion budget proposal through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Saturday after Democrats levied concerns about education funding.
The House voted 112-77 to pass the budget thanks to the support of Republican majority. House Democrats spoke about their opposition to the proposal, calling it everything from "a sham" to "anemic."
Republicans defended their proposal highlighting that it includes increases in funding for education, agriculture programs, veteran programs and health and human services. The proposal, they said, also does not include tax increase.
"This budget does exactly what Pennsylvanians would expect us to do," said Rep. Fred Keller, R-Union.
"It handles the finances of this commonwealth the same way they would handle the finances of their home. It looks at the revenue and it prioritizes that money."
The proposal will now be sent to the Pennsylvania Senate on Sunday. The Senate will have to wait three days before they can vote on it. Tuesday, the deadline for the budget, is the first day the Senate can vote on the proposal.
The House Democrats main concern, which was brought up by numerous during the Saturday debate, was that it does not include adequate funding for public education.
House Democrats said that the GOP proposal includes a $120 million increase in state funding for public and special education but it also shifts $112 million of costs onto local school districts.
That means, Democrats said, the proposal only includes a $8 million increase for education funding.
Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, urged Republicans to give Gov. Tom Wolf's budget an opportunity. It achieves historic levels of education funding while providing property tax relief for Pennsylvanians.
"I think Pennsylvanians want us to work together to achieve that kind of budget," she said. "Gov. Wolf has a plan for Pennsylvania... So lets leave the theatrics behind and work together to develop a budget that is good for Pennsylvania and that we can all be proud of."
Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, D-Philadelphia, stressed that the GOP proposals were not balanced and relied on gimmicks to fund it.
"Ray Charles can see that it's not balanced," Thomas said.
Throughout the debate Saturday, Republicans said over and over again, "You can't spend, what you don't have."
Rep. Seth Grove, R-Dover Twp., called the proposal the "only legitimate budget."