Pennsylvania budget impasses explained

Pennsylvania budget impasses are a series of budget impasses or fiscal crises that pertain to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the latest of which occurred during negotiations of the 2023-2024 state budget.[1] [2] [3] [4]

When elected officials at the state government level have been unable to pass annual budgets after repeated votes in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in previous years, the budget processes have stalled and, in several cases, reached impasses, during which times the commonwealth was unable to pay its bills or payrolls. When these impasses continued for extended periods of time, commonwealth employees, residents receiving government assistance and businesses that were scheduled to be paid for providing services to the government and commonwealth residents frequently faced financial hardship.[5]

Background

The Pennsylvania Constitution requires the adoption of a budget by midnight June 30 each year, the last day in the fiscal year.[6] There were seven consecutive budget impasses in Pennsylvania between 2003 and 2009, with tensions between Democratic Governor Ed Rendell and the Republican-controlled State Senate delaying the passage of annual budgets.[7] While the trend was broken for several years after 2009, conflicts between the Legislature and the Governor led to subsequent budget impasses in 2014 and 2015.

Past budget impasses

2007

The 2007 budget impasse lasted nine days, when it concluded with Governor Ed Rendell and the Republican-controlled state Senate finally agreeing on a $27.17 billion (~$ in) budget. Approximately 24,000 state employees, who were considered non-essential, were furloughed for one day during the impasse.[8]

2008

In 2008, three state employee unions (AFSCME, SEIU Local 668 and FOSCEP) sought a declaration from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that "the Governor's furlough plan is not "legally required" by Article III, Section 24 of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the FLSA, as the Governor's Office has asserted in public statements."[9] The Governor, Ed Rendell, and Treasurer, Robin Wiessmann, filed a cross-application for summary relief, asking the Court to indicate that paying state employees outside the budget is not allowed by state law.

2009

In 2009, the state had a $3.3 billion (~$ in) budget deficit, with twenty-four year term State Rep. Edward G. Staback stating at the time that, "It is probably the worst I have ever seen."[10] Governor Rendell proposed an increase of 16% in the state's personal income tax and $72 million in cuts to balance the budget.[11] Republican lawmakers and some Democrats have insisted on there being no new taxes. This disagreement over the state's budget created the impasse.[12]

Instead of implementing furloughs like previous years, all Pennsylvania state employees were required to continue working through the budget impasse. The majority of these employees will not be paid until after the new budget is adopted.[12]

During the impasse, almost 16,000 state workers took advantage of low interest loans to provide for expenses while they were without paychecks.[13]

2014

The first and only budget impasse that occurred during the Tom Corbett administration took place during the negotiations over the 2014-2015 state budget. The fiscal year elapsed without a signed budget, as Corbett withheld his signature from a $29.1 billion budget passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, citing the absence of pension reform.[14] The impasse ended on July 10, when Corbett ultimately signed the Legislature's budget proposal, which continued to lack pension reform. When signing the budget, the Governor used his line item veto power to cut $65 million, or 20 percent, of the Legislature's operating budget, a move that drew criticism from state lawmakers.[15]

2015

Governor Tom Wolf vetoed the entire budget in June.[16] Later in September, Gov. Wolf vetoed a stop gap budget passed by the Republican Legislature stating "Republican leaders passed a stopgap budget that once again sells out the people of Pennsylvania to oil and gas companies and Harrisburg special interests".[17]

On December 29, 2015, Gov. Wolf signed a $23.4 billion spending plan, which line-item-vetoed more than $6.8 billion from the legislature's second full budget proposal.[18] Later in March, the $30 billion budget from the Republican-controlled legislature became law when Gov. Wolf announced he would neither sign nor reject the proposal.[19]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Schultz . Brooke . Pennsylvania budget still in turmoil over school vouchers and equity funding case . July 29, 2023 . . July 12, 2023 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230720105540/https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-budget-education-funding-706018810c78fffc0f9c978c0c808a60 . July 20, 2023 .
  2. News: Huangpu . Kate . Meyer . Katie . Pennsylvania's budget is late. Here's what you need to know about the impasse. . July 29, 2023 . . July 3, 2023 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230708015442/https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/07/late-budget-pennsylvania-impasse-schools-shapiro/ . July 8, 2023 .
  3. News: McGoldrick . Gillian . What you need to know about the Pa. budget impasse . July 29, 2023 . . July 11, 2023 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728213641/https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-budget-school-vouchers-josh-shapiro-20230711.html . July 28, 2023 .
  4. News: Thompson . Charles . Gov. Shapiro signs Pa. budget, but scratches out $100 million for tuition vouchers . August 5, 2023 . . August 3, 2023 . en .
  5. Web site: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE OF THE BUDGET BUDGET IMPASSE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Fiscal Year Ending JUNE 30, 2024 . July 5, 2023 . July 22, 2023 . Office of the Budget.
  6. Web site: July 7, 2009 . Transit agency worries about budget stalemate. . July 29, 2009 . Renatta Signorini. https://web.archive.org/web/20090710015050/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/leadertimes/news/s_632577.html. July 10, 2009.
  7. News: Jan . Murphy . Jan Murphy . Pennsylvania's budget agreement is 'not without pain,' Gov. Ed Rendell says . The Patriot-News. June 30, 2010.
  8. News: Urbina . Ian . Ian Urbina . July 10, 2007 . Pennsylvania Budget Impasse Ends After Furloughs . . live . July 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180429180508/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/us/10penn.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin . April 29, 2018.
  9. Web site: 2009 . COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA - No. 322 M.D. 2008. aopc.org. July 29, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120218133607/http://www.aopc.org/OpPosting/CWealth/out/322MD08_8-12-08.pdf . February 18, 2012 .
  10. News: McConnell . Steve . July 13, 2009 . Legislator calls state budget deficit 'worst he's seen' . Wayne Independent . July 29, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110809082640/http://www.wayneindependent.com/news/x1885893668/Legislator-calls-state-budget-deficit-worst-he-s-seen . August 9, 2011 . "It is probably the worst I have ever seen.".
  11. News: Couloumbis . Angela . AP . July 7, 2009 . Pa. budget talks resume but consensus distant . . July 29, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090715003141/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090707_Pa__budget_talks_resume_but_consensus_distant.html . July 15, 2009 .
  12. Web site: July 12, 2009. Gov. Ed Rendell to address Pennsylvania budget impasse Monday morning. The Patriot-News. July 29, 2009 .
  13. News: Murphy. Jan. Jan Murphy. Pennsylvania budget delay led nearly 16,000 state employees to borrow money. The Patriot News. December 7, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091213002618/http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/12/budget_delay_led_nearly_16000.html. 2009-12-13. 2009-12-10. live.
  14. News: Langley . Karen . Giammarise . Kate . June 30, 2014 . Gov. Tom Corbett refuses to sign state budget . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210731114718/https://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2014/07/01/Gov-Tom-Corbett-refuses-to-sign-state-budget/stories/201407010110 . July 31, 2021.
  15. News: Bumsted . Brad . July 10, 2014 . Gov. Corbett signs Pennsylvania state budget, vetoes legislative funding . .
  16. News: Bumsted . Brad . June 30, 2015 . Wolf vetoes $30.1 billion budget pushed by GOP . . July 23, 2023.
  17. News: Alexandersen . Christian . September 29, 2015 . Surprising no one, Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed GOP-crafted stopgap budget . . live . July 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221204015229/https://www.pennlive.com/politics/2015/09/surprising_no_one_gov_tom_wolf.html . December 4, 2022 . Republican leaders passed a stopgap budget that once again sells out the people of Pennsylvania to oil and gas companies and Harrisburg special interests....
  18. News: Lindstrom . Natasha . Gilliland . Donald . December 29, 2015 . Gov. Wolf vetoes Republican budget, will release funds for schools . .
  19. News: Panaritis . Maria . Boccella . Kathy . March 24, 2016 . Ending budget impasse, Wolf says: 'We need to move on' . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170624070838/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160324_Wolf_relents_on_budget__ends_historic_impasse.html . June 24, 2017.

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