Pa. Senate says yes; budget bills headed to House
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Senate spending and tax bills are on their way to the House today, where Democrats are crafting their response.
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Senate spending and tax bills are on their way to the House today, where Democrats are crafting their response.
The Republican-controlled Senate this morning overwhelmingly approved a $27.8 billion spending plan in a bid to end Pennsylvania's three-month-old budget stalemate.
However, House Democrats say they'll strip $12 million in discretionary grants from the plan and quickly send it back to the Senate.
Overall, the budget would cut spending by more than 1 percent from last year and raise taxes on some businesses and sales of cigarettes to help resolve Pennsylvania's multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
Partisan disputes over the voting process are flaring, too.
House Democrats say budget-related bills sent over by the Senate could trigger House rules that require waiting several weeks for final votes.
