By
on June 25, 2014 at 6:12 PM
updated June 25, 2014 at 8:10 PM
In a nearly straight 110-93 party-line vote, the state House moved a $29.1 billion state general fund budget for 2014-15 to the Senate.
The plan serves as the House’s opening position in the final round of budget talks with the Senate and Corbett administration that will take place over the next few days as they try to finalize a budget before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.
The House-passed budget represents a 1.9 percent, or $536 million, increase over this year.
It spends $300 million less than Gov. Tom Corbett budget proposed in February in recognition of the persistent shortfalls in state tax collections.
The plan provides $10.3 billion for K-12 education including the first increase in seven years for special education.
It also holds steady funding for higher education, raises funding for domestic violence and rape crisis, boosts funding for environmental management and environmental protection, and adds money to take 1,250 more people with intellectually disability and autism off the waiting list.
Full story: Pa. House passes its GOP-crafted state budget plan By Jan Murphy, Pennlive, 6/25/14
