HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on the finishing touches of Pennsylvania’s 2019-20 state budget (all times local):
3:50 p.m.
Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a $34 billion compromise state budget after Pennsylvania lawmakers wrapped up the week with a flurry of votes.
Wolf made the announcement Friday, shortly after the Republican-controlled Legislature took its final votes and adjourned for the summer. The 2019-20 fiscal year starts Monday.
Healthy state revenues eased pressure on the governor and lawmakers.
The budget carries more money for public schools and universities, holds the line on taxes and stuffs cash into reserve. Wolf calls it a product of ’divided government’ amid criticism from his fellow Democrats.
Republicans prevailed over Democrats’ protests to end a decades-old cash assistance program for the destitute deemed temporarily unable to work.
About 10,000 people were in the program. Wolf says he’s working on ways to help them.
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12:10 p.m.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf says he’ll sign the main Pennsylvania state budget bill and the set of code bills that go along with it.
Wolf made the announcement Friday, shortly after the House of Representatives made the final votes and went home for the summer.
The $34 billion compromise state budget includes more money for education and does not raise sales or income taxes.
Healthy state revenues over the past year eased pressure on the governor and lawmakers as they forged the plan to fund the state for the 2019-20 budget year that starts Monday.
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11:20 a.m.
Legislation that makes up a $34 billion compromise state budget package is on its way to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf after the Pennsylvania House wrapped up work with a flurry of votes.
The Republican-controlled chamber voted early Friday to approve a critical education bill that had stalled the night before.
Wolf’s office says he’ll be signing bills later Friday, although it’s unclear whether he plans to veto anything.
House business had ground to a halt late Thursday.
Some Republicans were against a provision to lower children’s mandatory start of school from age 8 to 6. That measure is in the bill that was sent to Wolf.
Democrats wanted legislation designed to foster career and technical education. Those provisions were amended into legislation the House sent to the Senate.
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10:20 a.m.
The Pennsylvania House is wrapping up budget season votes, a day after grinding to a halt over a critical education bill.
The Republican-controlled chamber returned to session Friday, two days from the annual deadline, working to send Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf the last of the bills that together make up a $34 billion compromise budget package.
Their first vote was to pass an education bill that had failed late Thursday, when dozens of Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting against it, but for different reasons. The vote was 160 to 39.
Wolf’s office says he’ll be signing bills later Friday.
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9:40 a.m.
The Pennsylvania House is working to wrap up budget season votes, a day after grinding to a halt over a critical education bill.
The Republican-controlled chamber returned to session Friday, two days from the annual deadline, hoping to send Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf the last of the bills that together make up a $34 billion compromise budget package.
A protracted standoff isn’t likely, as the main budget bill and most other needed legislation are already headed to Wolf.
The education bill failed late Thursday, when dozens of Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting against it, but for different reasons.
Some Republicans objected to lowering the mandatory start of school from age 8 to 6.
Democrats want career and technical education bills to be part of the deal.
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This story has been corrected to show the budget is $34 billion, not $34 million.
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