Credit: State of PA
Without nailing down how it would fully be funded, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Sunday that he would not veto a nearly $31 billion state budget, allowing it to become official.
The move by Wolf, a Democrat, earned headlines because the Republican-controlled legislature had not yet settled on a revenue package to fund portions of the budget.
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“If a revenue package were already on my desk, I would have been proud to sign it,” said Wolf. “If a revenue package is passed before midnight on Monday, I will be equally as proud to sign it then. But if the General Assembly fails to pass a responsible revenue package by tomorrow evening, this bill will become law without my signature.
“Closed-door revenue discussions revolve around a $1.3 billion package that relies heavily on a $1 per-pack cigarette tax increase, to $2.60 per pack, and an expansion of casino-style gambling that would make Pennsylvania the fourth state to legalize internet gambling,” the Associated Press reported.
“Unfortunately, a final revenue agreement has not yet been reached,” state senators Jake Corman and Joe Scarnati, who are both Republicans, said in a statement. “Various proposals have been put on the table. Negotiations persist and we remain committed to continuing to work toward reaching a final compromise that will fully fund the approved spending plan while at the same time does not include broad-based increases in income or sales taxes.”
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The budget includes increased funding for education, social services and the expansion of internet gambling.
Pennsylvania went through nearly a full year before the 2015-2016 budget without one being passed.
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