Pennsylvania without a state budget; How long will it take?

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania is supposed to be in its new fiscal year on July 1, but it’s not. The June 30 constitutionally mandated deadline for a state budget came and went. So, what now? And what’s next?

“July 1. Here we are,” Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Montgomery), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said.” Where else would you rather be?”

The budget was due. Still on the to-do list.

“No final conclusion, no spend number, no code bills, no nothing,” Rep. Seth Grove (R-York), chair of the appropriations committee, said. “As we wake up on this July 1st morning.”

Public school funding. How much more, and exactly where is it going? That’s the biggest issue.

“The K-12 education is the budget,” Grove said. “That’s everything. Once you figure out how much you want to spend and what that distribution is, the rest can probably fall in place.”

“For House Democrats, me and my colleagues, to us, fighting for public education and fighting for more dollars for our schools, for our kids, that’s worth sticking around a couple of extra days,” Waxman said.

For the second year, Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget will be delayed but he insists the lack of a spending plan is not for lack of effort.

“We worked our tails off this weekend,” Shapiro said. “Everybody has been working around the clock. We are deep in the red zone and I expect that we will get this done very soon.”

“Until, as they say, everything’s agreed to, nothing’s agreed to,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) said.

Pittman agrees with Shapiro that pieces are in place for a broad agreement, but, “obviously those pieces need details and details and important details matter.

“Every hour that goes by that those details aren’t resolved gets us into a more difficult position,” Pittman added.

Shapiro’s budget calls for $48 billion. Have they agreed to a spending number?

“We are close on that,” Pittman said. But how close? Capitol insiders say that’s likely unknown even by those closest to the process.

As of now, the House is scheduled to break on Wednesday. Senate will, too. But the Senate is also scheduled to be back through this weekend.

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