Government
No plans yet to fix future budget deficits for New York
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One contributor to the spending increase is Hochul’s plan to pump $10 billion into the state’s health care workforce.
Education
Pennsylvania’s lowest funded school districts lay out their plans for millions in new funding
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A few of those districts are reaping tens of millions more dollars from the state budget compared to last year
Crime and Justice
What kind of education does PA owe public school students? A judge will decide
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The petitioners have been arguing Pennsylvania’s school system is so underfunded, it violates the state constitution.
Education
Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities to share $200 million in new government funding
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Most schools under the PASSHE umbrella will be getting a several million dollar funding boost this year.
Government
PA schools, businesses, and housing efforts are among the winners in this year’s state budget
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“This is a tremendous bipartisan effort. We are talking about historic investment in education for our children.”
Government
Pennsylvania mental health advocates applaud funding boost in new budget deal
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County programs will get their first significant increase in over a decade — though some details remain uncertain.
Government
Advocates continue call for more funding for New York’s upstate hospitals
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“The cost of labor and the fact we can’t find people continues to be a problem.”
Government
Budget extender ensures a later New York spending plan
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The budget’s been held up as Governor Hochul presses for changes to the 2019 criminal justice reforms, which ended cash bail for most crimes.
Government
New York begins the week without a state budget
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With paychecks for 62,000 state employees due on Wednesday, there’s talk of the Senate and Assembly passing a short term spending extender.
Government
New York lawmakers adjourn for a long weekend as budget deadline is missed
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The Senate and Assembly adjourned until Monday, when they say they will try again to reach an accord.
Government
Government watchdog groups push for ethics reform in New York’s state budget
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“We don’t want the deck chairs on the Titanic being rearranged. We want the real independent ethics commission that the public’s been promised.”
App NEWS
Bail reform changes remain a factor in New York budget talks
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Marvin Mayfield with the Center for Community Alternatives blamed law enforcement and some politicians, who he said deliberately spread misinformation.
Government
Senate, Assembly may increase spending over governor’s budget
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The Senate is proposing over $4 billion in additional funds for child care, saying the goal is to provide “universal” access.
Government
State comptroller shares cautiously optimistic outlook for New York’s finances
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“The health of the economy is good and it’s strong, but the recovery is not where we want it to be. It’s uneven.”
Government
Lawmakers seek to double governor’s proposed wage hike for human services providers
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The State Assembly, in its one-house budget resolution, is proposing an 11% cost of living adjustment for those workers in the upcoming fiscal year.
Government
Pennsylvania agency heads pitch higher funding to help address staffing woes
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Each is arguing that funneling more money to support staff positions is one of the best ways to solve their problems.
Government
Why Governor Hochul is not expecting a late state budget
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New York is also flush with cash for this year’s state budget, thanks to federal aid during the pandemic and stronger-than-expected tax receipts.
Government
Pennsylvania lawmakers start negotiations over the new state budget
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“More than a week in, state fiscal officers agree there’s plenty of money to spend, but disagree about how long it will last.”
Government
Proposed PA budget would help nurses, provide mental health services
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Advocates are hopeful to see needed funds during Gov. Tom Wolf’s final year in office.
Government
Republican budget chiefs want Pennsylvania’s plethora of pandemic-era cash used ‘judiciously’
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The House and Senate’s top GOP budget negotiators say the state’s $7.76 billion in extra relief and tax money can’t be stretched too thin.
Government
State surplus will ease New York governor’s first budget address
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WSKG Radio will broadcast Gov. Hochul’s budget address at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
App NEWS
As police reform stalls, Ithaca restores 2 previously eliminated officer positions
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The moderate increase to the police budget comes as Ithaca, like many other municipalities in the region, struggles to fill its existing vacancies.
App NEWS
PA Budget Deal Inches Closer To Finish Line
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Lawmakers are working with at least two new piles of money: $2.9 billion in unanticipated income and sales tax revenue and $7.29 billion from the federal government.
App NEWS
As Budget Grows, New York Comptroller Urges Lawmakers To Set Aside Money
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DiNapoli believes there is an opportunity to set aside the new revenues to make sure the state is in a good position in case of an emergency, such as another lockdown.
Education
$2.3 Billion: How The ‘Historic’ New York State Budget Reboots Child Care
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“It could really change the whole way that child care is done, it could change the child care system going forward.”
Education
Boost In State Aid Gives New York School Districts Much Needed Help
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“We know this has been a really hard year and a half. We are going to put resources behind education to prop the kids back up, give them time to maneuver through these changes and then get back on track with their education.”
App NEWS
Progressive Lawmakers Celebrate State Budget Victories
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“It’s a beautiful day to tax the rich!”
Government
Cuomo, Lawmakers Reach $212 Billion State Budget Deal
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“We not only balanced our budget, we are also making historic investments to reimagine, rebuild and renew New York in the aftermath of the worst health and economic crisis in a century.”
App NEWS
Under Budget Deal, Communities Without Police Reform Plan Risk State Monitor, Funding Cuts
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The Ithaca plan was approved, while trustees in Malone ended up sending a revised version of its strategy to the state.
american rescue plan
Schumer Touts Stimulus, Dodges SALT And Cuomo During Elmira Visit
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The press conference Monday was held at the Hill Top Inn overlooking City of Elmira and the Chemung River and primarily centered around relief for restaurants in the most recent COVID bill.
Government
Cuomo, Legislature Clash Over New Taxes On The Wealthy
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A recent study found New York’s over 120 billionaires increased their wealth by $88 billion dollars during the pandemic.
Government
Senate Leader Still Says Cuomo Should Resign, But Also Says Budget Talks Should Continue
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“I’ve made my opinions clear, I think the governor should resign but I also understand that it is important that we do our job and that will always be my focus.”
Economy
Cuomo Changes Marijuana Legalization Proposal, Outlining Plan for Revenue and Delivery
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Cuomo’s proposal would set aside $100 million of the state tax revenue generated by the cannabis industry to be reinvested for purposes of social equity, targeting communities disproportionately impacted by the state’s drug laws.
Falling Inmate Numbers Push More State Prison Closures
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The state is now in the process of decommissioning three prisons: Gowanda, Watertown and the Clinton Annex in Dannemora.
App NEWS
Governor Pitches Massive Attempt To Fix PA School Funding Inequities With Income Tax Hike
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The proposal would increase the state’s personal income tax from 3.07% to 4.49% in the next fiscal year.
Environmental Advocates Say New York Should Keep Promise And Fund Climate Change Initiatives
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Environmental advocates say money in the state budget meant for environmental initiatives needs to stay intact. Advocates want the state to fund the environmental programs they promised.
Government
Cuomo Presents Tale of Two Budgets, Threatens to Sue Federal Gov’t Over Aid Request
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Cuomo said if Biden and the Democratic-led Congress don’t come through with the full amount he’s seeking, he will commence litigation.
Government
Cuomo Proposes Legal Marijuana for Third Year, With New Changes
|
Cuomo, during his address on the state budget Tuesday, said the potential tax revenue from the cannabis industry would likely help garner support for legalization this year.
App NEWS
Gov. Cuomo’s 2021 State Budget Address
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New York NOW’s Dan Clark hosted live coverage of the address along with analysis of the address with David Lombardo, host of The Capitol Pressroom on public radio, and Amanda Fries from the Times Union.
Government
Cuomo Faces $15 Billion Deficit Challenge In Budget Plan
|
The governor in his State of the State address on January 11, said without a bailout, the choices to close the deficit are grim, and they include tax hikes, and cuts to schools.
Government
For Cuomo, COVID-19 Is A ‘War’ And New York Is Winning
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“We are at war — a war that started last year when we were ambushed by the COVID virus, and a war that continues today,”
budget
Tompkins Co. Legislature Passes $52 Million 2021 Budget
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The budget is about a 6 percent decrease from 2020.
Government
NY Senate Leader Says No Plans For Special Session, Urges State Spending
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“So far we have been able to keep the budget balanced while minimizing the impact on New Yorkers and fighting the pandemic.”
Government
With Votes Cast, New York Must Resolve Multibillion-Dollar Deficit
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“I talk to the Republican governors all day long, they need a stimulus package. They spent money on COVID, their revenues are down.”
No Permanent Solution In Sight For New York State’s Huge Budget Deficit
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The governor has temporarily held back 20% in aid payments to schools, local governments and others, under emergency powers granted to him by the State Legislature.
App NEWS
Garnar Announces “No Frills” 2021 Broome County Budget
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“We have waited long enough for the federal government to act, and we are going to come up with our own plan.”
Government
Cuomo: Next Two Weeks Will Determine State Budget Cuts
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“They had been promising, promising, promising. It’s not that I was waiting without them suggesting possibility. They have been saying we’re going to do it. Then they didn’t.”
2020 New York Legislative Session Winds Down; No Budget Resolution In Sight
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“Democrats are not providing any oversight of the governor’s decisions throughout this pandemic. And that is a real problem that I think should concern all New Yorkers.”
Education
Mail-In Ballots Expand Turnout In School Budget Votes, But At ‘Tremendous Cost’
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“The ideal situation would be to see this kind of turnout, without having to go through the expense of the postage and printing of absentee ballots.”
App NEWS
Without Federal Help, New York Officials Say State Budget Cuts Coming
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The state’s economy could lose a staggering $243 billion, or 14% of the state’s gross domestic product, over the course of the pandemic and the economic recovery.
Government
Cuomo: Report Predicts $61-Billion State Deficit Over 4 Years
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The governor has said he might cut funding to schools, hospitals and local governments by 20%, but he said Friday no decision has been made.
App NEWS
New York Schools Face An Uncertain Financial Future
|
The New York State School Boards Association says schools are bracing for teacher lay offs over the next year.
Government
Pay Frozen For New York State Workers
|
With New York facing a $10 to $15 billion dollar deficit, and a steep drop in revenue with almost all businesses closed, the governor says he has few choices.
Government
Minor New York Parties Say Budget Provision Unfairly Weakens Them
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“People are dying, people are losing their jobs, businesses are folding. That ought not be reason for politicians to figure out a way to give themselves a little extra money in their campaign coffers.”
Crime and Justice
New York Budget Includes Bail Reform Roll Back
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“The bail reform that we did last year I’m very proud of, and I think we made the right change now.”
Government
New York’s State Budget Nearly Complete
|
“The budget that we are passing is not the budget that any of us had hoped to pass at the beginning of this session.”
Government
Bedtime Delayed: Overdue Budget Prompts New York Lawmakers To Stay Up Late
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“If money comes in during the course of the year, we’ll spend it. If we actually lose money, we have to adjust it. That’s life. We can’t spend what we don’t have.”
Government
New York Puts Off Legalizing Marijuana, For Now
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“Not moving to legalize cannabis through the budget process right now … it makes sense.”
Government
Budget Deadline Tonight; New York Lawmakers Struggle With Coronavirus Fallout
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“We have to make drastic cuts to the budget. Like you have never seen.”
As Budget Deadline Looms, Cuomo Wants To Try Something New
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New York’s governor wants to pass the budget by April 1 and then update the state spending plan quarterly.
App NEWS
Tensions Surface At Hearing On Proposed Cuts In Medicaid
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Several New York lawmakers called the governor’s proposal a blatant “cost shift” to local governments.
App NEWS
Both Ends Of Political Spectrum Uneasy With New York’s Budget Process
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“The process is rigged to advance the governor’s agenda, undermine the role of the legislature, and distract from the hard financial choices that need to be made this year.”
App NEWS
Environmentalists Commend/Challenge Cuomo’s Climate Initiative Budget
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“If we want to lower our transportation emissions, we have to address getting people out of their personal vehicles or ensuring that the personal vehicles that are left become electrified more rapidly.”
App NEWS
Governor’s School Aid Proposal Could Be Lower Than Many New York Lawmakers And Advocates Want
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While New York may be first in the amount of spending per pupil, it ranks 49th in the nation in its unequal distribution of school funding.
App NEWS
Governor Releases Budget Proposal Tuesday As New York Faces Largest Deficit In A Decade
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“No one should worry. Be optimistic, it’s going to work out.”
binghamton
New York Senate Leader Cool On Wealth Tax
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The leader of the New York state Senate said she does not think there will be new broad-based taxes on the wealthy to close the state’s multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.
App NEWS
Tompkins DA Explains How State Criminal Justice Reforms Will Cost The County
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Several other counties have criticized these reforms as another unfunded mandate.
Binghamton Mayor
Binghamton Mayor Signs 2020 Budget
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The budget was approved by city council early this week
Government
Earmarks? WAMs? By Any Name, Conservative Group Says They Must Go
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A conservative think tank is renewing one of its annual traditions: calling out state lawmakers for stashing money in the budget for municipal projects.
Government
Don’t Discuss Minimum Wage, GOP Speaker Tells Dems During PA Budget Debate
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“Frankly it was outrageous. We have the ability, we need the ability to debate the issues that are relevant to the bill.”
Government
PA Lawmakers Cosign $34-Billion Budget, But Negotiations Continue
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Democratic Appropriations Chair Matt Bradford said that while he has his gripes, “the simple reality is, there is much good news in this budget.”
Owego Apalachin Voters Approve Amended School Budget
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Voters in the Owego Apalachin School District overwhelmingly approved a revised budget on Tuesday, about a month after the first budget proposal was voted down.
App NEWS
PA’s Minimum Wage, General Assistance Top Dems’ Budget Wishlist
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“I think we’ve got a really good opportunity this year. When I talk to my constituents, they ask me the question–why aren’t we raising the minimum wage?”
App NEWS
To Spend Or Not To Spend? PA Politicians Prepare For Annual Debate
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The state’s Independent Fiscal Office has reported that Pennsylvania is going to end the year more than $800 million above budget projections. About half will likely fill a hole in this year’s budget.
App NEWS
Assembly Speaker Expects Sunday Vote On New York State Budget
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Details of some issues are still being worked on, like how to create a congestion pricing system for parts of Manhattan.
Government
Sniping Between Cuomo, Senate Democrats As Budget Deadline Nears
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Budget talks are intensifying in Albany as the deadline nears, and they are revealing tensions and divides between Democrats.
binghamton
Cuomo Predicts Legal Pot Won’t Be Part Of The Budget, But Luxury Apartment Tax Will
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Cuomo is drawing some lines in the sand on items that he said must be in the spending plan, like a permanent property tax cap.
budget
Like Many Counties, Steuben’s 2019 Budget Reflects State Mandates For Indigent Defense, Raise The Age
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Like counties across New York, Steuben has to deal with a few new state mandates. 2019 is the first year Steuben County has to budget for Raise the Age and new indigent defense mandates.
budget
Taxes Increase 17% For Elmira Property Owners, Kinda By Mistake
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Residents in Elmira are about to see their property tax bill go way up. The city proposed a 17 percent increase to fund staffing and services at the current level. It passed last night without a vote.
budget
Another Year Of Pennsylvania Budget Woes
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Pennsylvania has struggled for a decade to pass balanced state budgets, and this year was no exception. A funding plan finally made it to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk four months after it was due, though like all his previous budgets, Wolf let it become law without a signature. Many fiscal watchdogs say it doesn’t do much to address the commonwealth’s underlying issues anyway. Off the bat, lawmakers were at a disadvantage when creating it. Revenue had come in more than a billion dollars less than expected the year before, and all told, they were on the hook to fill a $2.2 billion hole.
News
PA Lawmakers Float Stringent Budget Bill To Save Money
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Several Republican state senators plan to introduce legislation that would require Pennsylvania to use zero-based budgeting–a standard specifically designed to save money. The idea comes from lawmakers’ annual, unsuccessful struggles to balance the commonwealth’s books. However, other states that have attempted to use the method have often opted not to stick with it. Zero-based budgeting basically requires a rotating percentage of state agencies to re-justify all their operations and expenses every five years, and estimate the minimum amount of money they need to continue them. The author of the new measure, York County Republican Scott Wagner, said he’s taking cues from the private sector.
News
$1-Billion Hole Projected For Next Year’s PA Budget
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Pennsylvania is already on track to have a significant budget gap to fill next year. A study from the Independent Fiscal Office shows lawmakers will likely need to come up with about a billion dollars to keep the books balanced. They only just finished this year’s budget, four months behind schedule. It was mostly filled with borrowing, expected revenue from a gambling expansion and a number of internal fund transfers. Much of the money isn’t recurring, and that’s a big reason why the IFO is predicting the state will have to find more cash next year.
budget
PA Filling Budget Holes With Borrowed Tobacco Funds
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Pennsylvania is going to borrow against its Tobacco Settlement Fund to fill in last year’s deficit and finish this year’s budget The Wolf administration confirmed Tuesday that it will tap into the stream of money states have received from tobacco companies since the 1990s. The borrowing will give the commonwealth money to balance its books up front, and will then be paid back over several decades. The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved the plan Tuesday. However, Budget Secretary Randy Albright noted that it’s not finalized yet. “The resolution today simply allows staff at the CFA to put together a professional team, and go out and ascertain in the market what the most cost-effective financing plan should be,” Albright said.
budget
2018 Shaping Up To Be A Tough Budget Year For New York’s Lawmakers
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ALBANY (WSKG) – Two reports issued in recent days indicate that Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be facing his most difficult budget in seven years. The midyear financial report by the governor’s budget office has lowered revenue estimates by $850 million for the current budget year and the next two years. And it finds that next year’s projected deficit is now at $4.4 billion, if spending growth continues unchecked. Cuomo began sounding the alarm weeks before the report was released. “The state is already facing a $4 billion deficit going into next year,” Cuomo first said in late September.
budget
Post-Impasse, Many In PA Want To See Changes In State Budgeting
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — After a tumultuous budget process that saw state lawmakers pass a plan they couldn’t fully pay for, many are looking into changing how the system works entirely. For four months, the budget was in a sort of limbo. A $32 billion spending package passed just after the June 30th due date, so most state spending continued as usual. But the budget was over $2 billion out of balance, and stayed that way until late last month. A number of lawmakers–and others–want to keep that from happening again
“It has to be one vote so we don’t spend money we don’t have, and frankly so politicians don’t get to say, ‘I want to spend this money, which is popular, but I’m not going to vote to pay for it because that’s unpopular,'” Montgomery County Senator Daylin Leach said.
budget
No Word Yet On Where PA’s Governor Will Borrow Money For State Budget
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — One of the biggest parts of the budget plan that Governor Tom Wolf has now mostly signed into law is $1.5 billion dollars worth of borrowing. But Wolf said Monday it’s not yet set in stone where that money will come from. The legislature’s plan called for borrowing from the Tobacco Settlement Fund–which gets yearly payments from a settlement states made with tobacco companies in the late 1990s. But while he was waiting for lawmakers to pass it, Wolf came up with his own approach — deciding to borrow the money against future revenue from the state-run liquor industry. The Liquor Control Board has already begun the process of approving borrowing, and the Commonwealth Financing Authority, or CFA, is scheduled to consider the legislature’s tobacco plan.
News
PA Treasurer Authorizes Major Loan To Cover State Expenses
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – The state Treasury has authorized a major $1.8 billion loan to keep Pennsylvania’s general fund from running out of money. It comes just in time for the commonwealth to make major public school payments. Over the last several years, it became routine for the Treasury to extend large loans early in the fiscal year, because the bulk of state revenues have tended to come in later months. But this year, Treasurer Joe Torsella refused to follow suit until the state budget was finished–calling it irresponsible to do so. The Senate and Governor Tom Wolf supported the decision to delay the loan, though House Republicans didn’t. Wolf still hasn’t confirmed whether he’ll sign the legislature’s now-complete revenue plan, but Torsella said he’s comfortable lending the money based on the administration’s promises to manage funds responsibly. In a statement, Torsella said because of the “unusual events surrounding this year’s budget,” the Treasury opted to add provisions to the loan that would “secure Treasury’s investment, and provide alternatives if circumstances change.”
News
New York, California Governors Team Up Against Tax Overhaul
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ALBANY (WSKG) – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a conference call with California Gov. Jerry Brown, singled out two New York GOP congressmen for criticism after they voted for a budget measure that clears the way for a vote on the Republican plan to overhaul the tax system. Cuomo has been speaking out nearly every day against a proposal in the federal tax overhaul plan to eliminate state and local tax deductions from federal income tax filings. He calls it double taxation and a political attack on New York. The state comptroller has said New Yorkers would lose $72 billion in state and local tax deductions if the Republican plan in Congress were to be approved. That’s because New York has one of the highest local tax rates in the nation.
News
PA House Passes Final Budget; Ball In Governor’s Court
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — The state House has sent a gambling expansion bill to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk–effectively finishing the budget they’ve labored over this entire fiscal year, four months past the due date. The long, complex measure prompted hours of debate over the course of two days. It significantly broadens Pennsylvania’s 13-year-old gaming industry. Gambling in airports and over the internet will now be legal. Truck stops across the commonwealth can install video gaming terminals–or VGTs–and up to 10 new miniature casinos are authorized. Lawmakers have repeatedly failed to pass similar bills in recent years.
News
PA’s State Budget Could Be Finished Today
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — After almost four months of false starts and negotiation breakdowns, the state legislature has passed most of a plan to fund Pennsylvania’s budget–almost entirely through borrowing and internal transfers. Lawmakers say the end is finally in sight. However, the House still has to pass a gambling expansion bill, which they’ll resume debating at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, after running out the clock late Wednesday night. The final proposed funding package is essentially the same as one the House passed last week. And Senate GOP Leader Jake Corman said that’s with good reason.
News
Some Progress Toward PA Budget Resolution, But Hang-Ups Persist
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — The legislature is crawling closer to finishing its nearly four-months-late state budget–with the House and Senate both saying they’re aiming to finalize a plan based mostly on borrowing this week. “It’s been a long three months, so hopefully there’s more optimism than there was for most of the time,” House Republican Leader Dave Reed said. “But,” he added, “we’ll wait and see.” So far, the legislature has sent the governor its fiscal code, which implements the overall budget, and which Wolf said he still has to review. Now, Senate leaders say they plan to take up the public school code bill and, likely, the tax code–which contains most of the revenue components that would actually balance the budget.
News
Some Progress Toward PA Budget Resolution, But Hang-Ups Persist
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — The legislature is crawling closer to finishing its nearly four-months-late state budget–with the House and Senate both saying they’re aiming to finalize a plan based mostly on borrowing this week. “It’s been a long three months, so hopefully there’s more optimism than there was for most of the time,” House Republican Leader Dave Reed said. “But,” he added, “we’ll wait and see.” So far, the legislature has sent the governor its fiscal code, which implements the overall budget, and which Wolf said he still has to review. Now, Senate leaders say they plan to take up the public school code bill and, likely, the tax code–which contains most of the revenue components that would actually balance the budget.
News
No Budget Progress, But PA Lawmakers Say Talks Continue
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — The state House and Senate are back in session after taking time off following the collapse of budget negotiations earlier this month. There’s no concrete strategy moving forward. But some lawmakers say they hope opposition to Governor Tom Wolf’s unilateral budget-balancing plan will eventually spur the body into action. Wolf has announced he intends to bring the state’s books in line by borrowing against liquor control board revenues, leasing out the state Farm Show complex, and not passing funding for state related universities. So now, the big question in Harrisburg is whether lawmakers will accept that, or come up with an alternative plan. House GOP Leader Dave Reed, of Indiana County, seemed skeptical any movement would happen soon.
News
`Tough Decisions’ Ahead For New York’s State Budget
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ALBANY (WSKG) – The state’s Comptroller is siding with Governor Cuomo over concerns that federal health care cuts will damage New York’s budget, but he says the governor’s budget experts should have saved more money in rainy day funds. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says Cuomo is right to draw attention to over a billion dollars in potential health care cuts to the state, now that Congress and President Trump have postponed acting on a new federal budget. Congress failed to renew funding for the Disproportionate Share Hospital fund, which will impact public hospitals that serve the uninsured. It also did not renew the Child Health Plus program, which provides health care for around 330,000 children in the state. “I think the governor is right to sound the alarm,” said DiNapoli. “We have a tremendous amount of risk to our budget and our financial standing if action is not taken at the federal level.” Both Cuomo and DiNapoli say the state is also facing a $4 billion dollar budget gap next year. The Comptroller predicts that the state will “have to make some tough budget decisions”.
News
PA House Pushes A New Hotel Tax Into Budget Discussions
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – After extensive closed negotiations, a House committee has moved a plan to close part of the $2.2 billion gap in Pennsylvania’s overdue budget. It’s expected to be considered by the full chamber on Wednesday. Its key component is a five percent tax on hotel rates that would largely impact major cities, and is already being opposed by the hotel industry. The statewide rate is currently six percent. Nearly doubling it would only raise around $100 million this year, and roughly $160 million next year. But House Majority Leader Dave Reed said even deciding to move forward with the hotel tax is a significant step in a budget process where new revenue has been difficult to agree on.
News
PA Lawmakers Resume Full-Time Budget Talks; No Agreements Yet
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — After a week of closed talks between legislative leaders and Governor Tom Wolf, the House and Senate are back in session together for the first time in months. Leaders say they have a loose budget structure to work from now, though no one has officially agreed to anything. The House hasn’t yet held official discussions with members about the framework, but the Senate did Monday afternoon. After he emerged from a long, closed caucus meeting, GOP leader Jake Corman told reporters that roughly 10 pieces of legislation will need to pass in order to truly balance the budget. “I mean, look, we’re closer than we’ve been in some time, clearly,” he said. “We actually brought the members back in to discuss elements of things the governor and House leadership and I talked about last week.”
News
PA Lawmakers Will Resume Session As Signs Of New Budget Emerge
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — GOP leaders say they’re optimistic they’ll have some kind of budget framework to present to members this week. The House and Senate are both scheduled to convene Monday. The potential deal comes after a week of closed negotiations between chamber leaders, as well as at least one rare in-person meeting with Governor Tom Wolf. It’s unclear when or if major votes will happen. But in a memo sent to GOP members, House Leader Dave Reed said it “might be a good idea to pack for a long week.” He said he’s optimistic a deal is getting close.
News
Jobless Workers Worry PA’s Lawmakers Have Forgotten Their Funding Woes
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — While Harrisburg is mired in balancing its overdue budget, employees in the state’s Unemployment Compensation program are getting concerned that a planned fix to their funding won’t come on time. Hundreds of UC employees were laid off last year ago after funding wasn’t renewed over fears the program was ill-managed and cost too much. It caused mass delays for people trying to claim unemployment benefits. $15 million in stopgap money was passed in April, and has helped rehire some staff. It was only designed to last until roughly the end of the year; at the time, lawmakers said they’d immediately start on a permanent fix. There have since been some studies and hearings, but there’s still no bill–or even a known framework.
News
Can Political Strife Hurt Business Prospects?
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — As Pennsylvania contends with a months-late budget and recently-downgraded bond rating, it’s also working hard to entice Amazon to set up a secondary headquarters in one of its cities. The situation raises a question: could the political turmoil deter businesses? Some pro-business leaders say in certain cases, it’s a possibility. Gene Barr, president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, typically takes the position that a state’s tax structure, business incentives, and pension costs, among other things, determine whether companies will want to put down roots. He said the stalled budget and recent credit hit, which put Pennsylvania’s rating among the bottom five states–aren’t cause for panic.
budget
Bipartisan Severance Tax Bill Still Stalled
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A bipartisan coalition of House members is backing the severance tax–a version of which has been approved by the Senate.
budget
PA Senate Hits Restart On Budget Negotiations
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The GOP-controlled state Senate has formally rejected a conservative budget plan passed by the House–essentially resetting negotiations nearly three months past the deadline.
News
Stark Differences Persist As PA Senate Returns To Budget Talks
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – The state Senate is back in session, and is gearing up to respond to a budget package the House passed last week. Senate leaders aren’t revealing much about their plans–though they indicate they have fundamental disagreements with House leaders. Meanwhile, the standoff is prompting credit rating agencies and budget experts to put the commonwealth on their watch lists. The Senate initially passed a revenue package in July. It balanced the $2.2 billion budget deficit on a combination of borrowing and new taxes–including ones on Marcellus Shale gas drilling and utilities.
News
Stark Differences Persist As PA Senate Returns To Budget Talks
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – The state Senate is back in session, and is gearing up to respond to a budget package the House passed last week. Senate leaders aren’t revealing much about their plans–though they indicate they have fundamental disagreements with House leaders. Meanwhile, the standoff is prompting credit rating agencies and budget experts to put the commonwealth on their watch lists. The Senate initially passed a revenue package in July. It balanced the $2.2 billion budget deficit on a combination of borrowing and new taxes–including ones on Marcellus Shale gas drilling and utilities.
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PA House Back At Work On Budget, But The Way Forward Remains Murky
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — After weeks of deserted Capitol hallways and quiet meetings between House members, the chamber is officially back in session–well over a month after the Senate passed a bipartisan revenue plan to balance the budget. It’s now the House’s turn to make a move, but it remains unclear what that will be. House Majority Leader Dave Reed confirmed the chamber is taking up a controversial revenue proposal from an anti-tax bloc of the House GOP. It’s designed to fill budget gaps by raiding special state funds. House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin said it will likely get a vote in the full House this week, but it’s unclear if it will pass. House Speaker Mike Turzai is one of the chamber’s most prominent, powerful opponents of new taxes.
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PA House GOP Budget Faces Skeptic Democrats, Senate, And Governor
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — A group of House Republicans has unveiled a plan to balance the more than $2 billion budget deficit by, primarily, raiding dozens of state funds. Eighteen rank and file House Republicans said they spent most of the summer working on the plan, which they named “The Taxpayers’ Budget.” It would transfer cash from the so-called “special” funds that help pay for a number of state programs and services. Supporters of the plan said they limited the transfers to funds with “inordinately high” balances. GOP Representative Dan Moul, of Adams County, said he thinks that money flies under the radar. “Until every source of reserve revenue is exhausted, we should not ask more of our taxpayers,” he said.
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After A Weeklong Stalemate, Still “No Agreements” On PA Budget Revenue
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – A state budget standoff has been going strong since lawmakers passed a spending plan Friday, but no revenue package to pay for it. As members return from their Independence Day recess, House and Senate Republican leaders don’t appear much closer to a consensus. The budget that’s currently sitting on Governor Tom Wolf’s desk becomes law automatically at midnight on Monday–even if it’s not balanced. If that happens, credit rating agencies are already warning of possible downgrades. The conflict is coming down to differing views among GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate. In a strongly worded note to members, House Leader Dave Reed defended his caucus’ proposed revenue plan, saying that “to just walk away from legitimate concepts in favor of tax increase after tax increase is just not realistic or acceptable.”
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PA’s Still-Unbalanced Budget May Reduce Medicaid Spending
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – State lawmakers haven’t yet finished the state budget, which was due Friday. They have until midnight next Monday to pass one, otherwise the unbalanced spending plan lawmakers sent to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk last week becomes law–with or without his signature. Though little is still known about how the final budget will be paid for, the spending plan makes it clear that lawmakers aim to look for some savings in health care. The single biggest spending reduction in the plan sitting on Wolf’s desk is a more than $350 million decrease in money allocated to Medicaid managed care. That’s a nearly 10 percent reduction to the massive fund, which gets cash from both the state and federal government. Medicaid managed care involves the state contracting with private care providers to serve patients more cheaply.
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Breaking Down PA’s Budget: The Fiscal Landscape
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) – State budgets have two basic parts: one outlines how much government will spend on its programs and expenses, and the other details where lawmakers are getting the money to pay for it. Last year, the GOP-controlled legislature compromised on a $31.5 billion spending plan, and then took two more weeks to come up with a revenue framework to fit it. Democratic Governor Tom Wolf let it become law without his signature, declaring at the time that “our budget is balanced this year, and we have greatly reduced the commonwealth’s structural budget deficit.” But a year later, that budget is $1.5 billion below estimates–the biggest shortfall since the 2009 recession. “It is pretty clear now that any rational person would come to the conclusion that last year’s budget was not actually balanced,” said Auditor General Eugene DePasquale at a recent press conference. He and Treasurer Joe Torsella have said that money is now so tight, the state may have to take out outside loans as soon as next month–a move that will likely have an adverse impact on its already-mediocre credit rating.