But he went on to say that he had no drop-dead date in mind for signing a short-term plan to release funding to school districts and an array of safety-net services, and that he would sign such a plan only if he already had a general budget agreement with lawmakers.
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The governor and the Department of Human Services are being sued over the current 80-day budget impasse centered on funding school spending with liquor privatization and pension reform.
“I think what we need is a budget, that’s what I’m working for”, Wolf said.
Republicans said that, in any case, an agreement is weeks away and cash-strapped schools and social-services organizations should not be held hostage in the meantime. “Nothing. I got nothing on severance tax”. At every turn, Republicans have prevented serious negotiations, because they are unwilling to make the long-term investments and changes needed to help Pennsylvania families.
Republicans say their original offer did give more on education, but right now they’re concerned Governor Wolf will veto the stopgap. “The people of Pennsylvania want more, and they deserve better”.
“They’re poking me in the eye again, that’s exactly what this is about”, Wolf told reporters during a news conference in his Capitol offices. Salaries above that would get a 2.5 percent match in a 401(k)-style plan, they said. The administration said that its reforms would save billions over the long term.
Senate leadership is looking to schedule final votes for Friday, which would leave the bills sitting in the House when they return to session on Monday.
In June, Republicans passed a budget without honest negotiations with the administration, that was built on $1.5 billion worth of gimmicks, included less than 2 percent of the funding needed to restore Republican cuts to education, and did not make oil and gas companies pay their fair share or include property tax relief for hardworking Pennsylvanians.
But now the state legislature is willing to act.
The plan advanced by Senate leaders Wednesday uses that vetoed spending plan as its starting point, and would provide about $11 billion – or approximately four months – of funds.
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With the state’s spending authority curtailed, Pennsylvania’s school districts, counties and nonprofit social services providers are searching for ways to scrape by. We have stopgap bills to keep the government running rather than to craft budgets through compromise.
