Sep. 24, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) today joined a majority of his colleagues in the state House in voting to provide emergency state funding as a way of temporarily resolving the many issues Gov. Tom Wolf’s full budget veto has caused.
The funding includes state appropriations amounting to $11 billion, retroactively to July 1 and carrying through to Oct. 31. In addition to four months (or 33.3 percent) of state aid based on House Bill 1192’s levels (which are higher than the 2014-15 state budget), the emergency funding bill allows $24.3 billion in federal dollars to reach their intended recipients, and PHEAA grants and county child welfare funding will be disbursed at 50 percent.
“We cannot fail our veterans, students, seniors, victims of crime and others who depend on these services. Instead of just saying he’s sympathetic to their plight, we need the governor to act. He must sign the bill to release necessary funding to the most vulnerable citizens of our Commonwealth,” Barrar said.
The emergency state funding package is based on recommended line items included in the original budget the General Assembly presented to the governor on June 30, with no new or increased taxes and appropriations higher than last fiscal year in many cases.
“While our six state veterans homes are still operational, they must cut costs where they can to remain open; it cannot be business as usual without any state funding,” Barrar said. “Our veteran residents are being affected by the governor’s full budget veto, and as the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, I hope he remembers them when considering whether he will sign the emergency state funding package.”
The General Assembly passed a balanced budget plan on June 30. Within the same hour, the governor vetoed the entire plan, even though 274 out of 401 line items were greater than or equal to what he requested. In August, the House attempted to override some of the governor’s vetoes – only including line items all parties agreed on – but the House Democrats blocked the votes.
Representative Stephen E. Barrar
160th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Evans
717.260.6206
aevans@pahousegop.com
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