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Pa. Senate moves GOP-led budget proposal amidst party rhetoric

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Despite claims from Senate Democrats their counterpart’s state budget idea was a “House of cards,” built on “smo...
Senate Committee

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Despite claims from Senate Democrats their counterpart’s state budget idea was a “House of cards,” built on “smoke and mirrors,” the Republican-led Senate Appropriations Committee passed the House-sponsored proposal during a rare meeting Sunday night.

The proposal, created by House Republicans as an alternative to Governor Wolf’s state budget, will be voted on and likely passed by the rest of the Senate on Tuesday, before finding the Governor’s desk Tuesday night. Governor Wolf has said he will likely veto the bill.

On Sunday, Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee tried to sway Republicans to vote against party lines, using public education as their top-selling point. Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), the panel’s ranking Democrat, ratcheted up the rhetoric, calling the GOP budget proposal full of “gimmicks and tricks,” “Voodoo economics,” and added it “doesn’t meet the needs of the people of Pennsylvania.”

“It’s really a sham across the board,” Hughes told Fox 43.

Hughes issued two amendments during the hearing which would have included asks from Wolf’s original budget. Both were shot down along party lines. Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) called the GOP’s actions Sunday night “Kabuki Theatre.”

“Right now, there is nothing of the Governor’s priorities in this budget,” he said. “He will not sign it.”

Senate Republicans maintain Wolf’s budget proposal spends too much money and creates too many new taxes. “We simply don’t have the money,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) said. “This is a budget (GOP proposal) which spends what we have.”

Following the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting, the Law and Judicial Committee met, and passed, a bill to privatize liquor and wine sales across the state. The rest of the Senate will vote on it Tuesday, as well. Governor Wolf has long announced his opposition to privatizing liquor sales. Democratic Senators spoke Sunday night on their desire to keep it private, citing the number of jobs which would be lost at liquor stores if sales become private.

The deadline to pass a new state budget is Tuesday, June 30 at midnight. Republicans in the House and Senate hope Governor Wolf will agree to some of the proposal to avoid a government shutdown.

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