|
Senate Republicans Will Eye Spending in
Governor's Budget
$23.85 Billion Package Includes 3.5 Percent Growth in Outlays
HARRISBURG -- Senate
Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert J. Thompson said Senate Republicans
will thoroughly review Governor Ed Rendell’s proposed $23.85 billion budget for
Fiscal Year 2005-06 over the next few weeks.
The budget unveiled by the Governor during a joint
session of the General Assembly on Wednesday (February 9) includes an increase
of $815 million (3.5 percent) in spending with about three-quarters of the
increase ($612 million) earmarked for programs within the Department of Public
Welfare.
“We plan to study the budget in depth over the
coming weeks and many of the Governor’s proposals and initiatives will be the
subject of intensive review as cabinet secretaries and other officials present
their individual requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee during its
two-week series of hearings slated to begin later this month,” Senator Thompson
said.
In addition to the increase in DPW spending, the
Governor is also proposing modest increases in education funding and a
substantial change in the way the state allocates resources from its portion of
the National Tobacco Settlement.
“Since many of the proposals included within the
budget will also require the enactment of additional legislation prior to or
concurrent with the passage of the budget, Senate Republicans will have the
opportunity to thoroughly review and consider those items at that time as well,”
Senator Thompson said.
The Tobacco Settlement Fund, created in 2001 through
a bi-partisan two-year effort would undergo a substantial change under the
Governor’s proposal. In effect, the Governor wants to make the Tobacco Fund a
part of each budget beginning with 2005-06, which would allow programs funded by
tobacco settlement money to be changed annually.
Senator Thompson also noted that despite the
Governor’s comments about pressing for additional funding for mass
transportation programs, he did not resolve the transportation funding issue in
the 2005-06 Budget.
“On a positive note, the Governor has taken a page
from the ongoing efforts by Senate Republicans to streamline government and make
it more responsible to the people of Pennsylvania,” Senator Thompson said. “The
2005-06 budget includes a number of cost-saving initiatives across all
Departments within state government, specifically in the area of administrative
costs.”
Basic education and special education will see
increases in state funding, with an additional $109 million (2.5 percent) for
basic education for a total of $4.47 billion and an additional $23.2 million
(2.5 percent) for special education for a total of $952.4 million. The
Accountability Block Grant program is slated to retain its current funding level
of $200 million.
The budget also includes a 10 percent increase
($22.8 million) for community colleges for a total of $249 million. Direct
funding for the State System of Higher Education would increase by $9.75 million
(2.2 percent) to a total of $443.1 million.
PHEAA changes include efforts to promote nursing
education to address the ongoing need for nurses across the Commonwealth. The
budget includes an additional $9 million in state funding for increases in PHEAA
grants.
The Senate Appropriations Committee will review the
Governor’s proposals in depth during its annual series of budget hearings. The
budget hearings are set for the weeks of February 28 and March 7.
# # #
Senator Majority Leader David Brightbill and
Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Thompson (top), Senate President
Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer (middle), and Senate Majority Whip Jeff Piccola
(bottom) speak to the media
following the governor's budget address on Feb. 9.
Summary of Governor's Budget Proposal
Charts on General Fund Debt Service Trends, Higher Education Funding and Library
Funding History
Remarks:
 
Senator President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer
Senator Majority Leader David Brightbill
Senate Majority Whip Jeff Piccola
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Thompson
Senators Noah Wenger, Bob Robbins,
Mary Jo White, Jane Earll, Charles Lemmond, Jane Orie, John Rafferty,
Bob Tomlinson, Don White, Rob Wonderling, Mike Waugh and Pat Vance
Sen. Jane Earll
Sen. Charles Lemmond
Sen. Jane Orie
Sen. John Rafferty
Sen. Bob Robbins
Sen. Tommy Tomlinson
Sen. Pat Vance
Sen. Mike Waugh
Sen. Noah Wenger
Sen. Don White
Sen. Mary Jo White
Sen. Rob Wonderling
|
