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Pennsylvania House may pass stopgap budget

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives met Monday to discuss the option of a stopgap budget, which would provide 11 months of funding...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania House of Representatives met Monday to discuss the option of a stopgap budget, which would provide 11 months of funding to the state. Members of the House emphasized the need to get money out to schools, so they can stay open after the holidays.

Rep. Seth Grove said, "I don't know a person inside here that doesn't want their school district to come back into operation after Christmas break."

But House Democrats don't think it would help schools as much as a budget would.

Rep. Kevin Schreiber said, "This does not make good on our commitment to our schools and county governments and ultimately it shortchanges the democratically negotiated process that we have engaged in over the last couple weeks."

Gov. Tom Wolf said he will veto the stopgap budget if the House passes it. The House failed to pass a budget on Saturday after disagreeing on the pension bill.

The stopgap would give the state $28.1 billion of spending appropriation. Rep. Seth Grove said Pennsylvania is now the last state to pass a budget.

Grove said, "I believe push comes to shove they will do it. I mean Illinois just did it. Do you want to be the last state that's not funding your school districts, your human services, etc.?"

He said the stopgap budget is the fastest and best option at this point.

"We've got to get a stopgap out as quickly as possible, and you can predicate you know the bill we passed, we can do that without tax increases. So it puts it into place where you can get a final package done for that last month of the seasonal year," he said.

Democrats said there shouldn't be a need for the stopgap. They have a full-year budget ready to go.

"Pennsylvania needs a budget," Schreiber said. "We need to get a budget done. We needed it six months ago. We need it today. Every day that goes by is another day that we have not reached this agreement. There is a deal on the table, and if that bill were to come up, we have 102 votes to pass it."

House Democrats said they are close to getting a budget passed. They think the stopgap is just another roadblock.

"This has been a multiple attempt by republicans in the house to underfund our state government," Schreiber said.

But neither side of the House said they are planning on going home for the holidays anytime soon.

"I think we should stay until this job is done and Pennyslvania has a full-year budget," Schreiber said.

Grove said, "I'm here. A lot of my colleagues are here. I don't think anyone's going anywhere until this is settled."

The House said they will meet again Tuesday to vote on the stopgap.

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