HARRISBURG, Pa. — State lawmakers won’t be reporting to work in Harrisburg for another two weeks, and it remains unclear when the final pieces of the budget will be agreed upon. Governor Josh Shapiro initially signed the $45.5 billion budget plan in August, however legislators continue debating over the funding of the budget.
This is causing a lot of uncertainty for community colleges and public libraries.
“We could probably go another quarter or two, but that would be the point where we’re looking at our line of credit," said John Sygielski, the president and CEO of Harrisburg Area Community College.
Sygielski said HACC and other community colleges across the Commonwealth have been drawing upon its cash reserves to cover the gap in funding. He worries that the school will need to start cutting back on student services, like tutoring and financial aid support, if the budget impasse drags on.
“That is something we really, really don’t want to do, but it may come to that point depending on how long this impasse progresses," said Sygielski.
Meanwhile, public libraries across the Commonwealth have already been holding off on making new purchases and renewing its databases and subscription services for clients. Some libraries may be forced to furlough some of its employees if a deal isn't reached soon.
“The libraries run very lean and they do not have the cash reserves, really, of more than a couple of months," said Christi Buker, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Library Association. “We’re hopeful that [furloughs] won’t happen because nobody wants that, but that is the reality with public libraries.”
FOX43 News reached out to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to comment on the current progress of the funding bills.
Senator Scott Martin (R-Lancaster County) sent the following statement:
“The Senate has advanced bipartisan bills to make sure our community colleges, libraries and other critical education programs receive the funding they need. This includes a bipartisan bill approved earlier this month that passed by a 45-5 margin. It is unfortunate that House Democrat leaders injected further delay and partisanship into the process by removing key funding in the bill intended to expand educational opportunities for students by a party-line 102-101 vote. We stand ready to advance funding for these programs and services as soon as these issues can be resolved.”
A spokesperson with the Democratic Majority Leader, Matt Bradford, released the following statement:
"The General Appropriations bill, which includes funding for libraries and community colleges, was passed by the House and signed by the governor in August. The Senate currently has three bills before them on concurrence to immediately distribute these dollars."
Both Sygielski and Buker hope state lawmakers can finalize the budget code bills before the session ends for the holidays.
“The spicket doesn’t turn on instantly, in terms of the money appearing overnight," said Buker. "We hope there won’t be much further delay and getting this passed.”