2014 – 2015 COMMONWEALTH BUDGET These links may expire: July 14 Pa.'s one-finger solution LET'S TALK about Gov. Corbett's semiballsy declaration of war on the Legislature. First, though, let's acknowledge that picture of the guv giving a one-finger salute to the Legislature after signing a budget that cuts some of its funding. The photo, which I'm calling "Fund You," is an instant classic, certain to... - Philadelphia Daily News IN REBUTTAL Republicans can take pride in their accomplishments for Pennsylvania By Rob Gleason On July 3, an editorial published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was critical of Republican accomplishments while criticizing the ongoing budget and pension negotiations (“Un-done: Their Shaky Budget Could Hurt Corbett and the GOP” ). As noted in the editorial, House Majority Leader Mike Turzai has made a... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 13 Harrisburg borrows a page from Washington - for the worse Harrisburg is finally getting ambitious. Legislators took a look at Washington and realized they could do better. And by better, I mean so much worse. Summer is usually sleepy in our state capital, but this season fireworks keep igniting, though not in a good way. Gov. Corbett approved the state... - Philadelphia Inquirer Here's why the line-item veto is Gov. Corbett's last stand: Terry Madonna and Michael L. Young By Terry Madonna and Michael L. Young It's a trite but true political aphorism: "where you stand depends on where you sit," meaning we tend to see things differently depending on what perspective we see them from. If you're a Pennsylvania Republican, no matter where you "sit," it's hard... - Harrisburg Patriot-News Corbett still pressing for pension reform PITTSBURGH — Gov. Tom Corbett said Friday that he's still hopeful the Pennsylvania Legislature will take up pension reform, but won't say if he plans to call a special session on the issue.... - AP Corbett's hard stand on Pa. budget stirs anger In his first post-primary television ad, a stern Gov. Corbett tells would-be supporters that he "did not come to Harrisburg to make friends." On Thursday, he boldfaced that point. After pushing the 10-day deadline to take action on the legislature-approved state budget to the bitter end, Corbett came out... - Philadelphia Inquirer Corbett veto exposes GOP divisions in Harrisburg HARRISBURG, Pa. — The relationship between Gov. Tom Corbett and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature took a turn toward the dysfunctional this week as they traded insults about leadership following his decision to veto millions from the General Assembly's budget... - AP July 11 Keller: Corbett "childish" in blaming pols for lack of pension fix HARRISBURG — While the Legislature has been unable to shift away from the defined-benefit pension style that is creating a crippling unfunded liability, small rural governments have quietly been adopting pension plans that don’t carry the same risks. A new study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania found that 4 in 10 rural... - Sunbury Daily Item Corbett signs budget, takes on lawmakers, pensions HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Tom Corbett signed the state budget 10 days late on Thursday and used his line-item veto power to spotlight what he called the Legislature's failure to sacrifice with the rest of government or to curb rising public-sector pension costs that are fueling school tax... - AP Budget process becomes a family feud (Editorial) The Republican family feud in Harrisburg sure is getting interesting. It's so tense, this week the unofficial father of that GOP family — Gov. Tom Corbett — cut off part of the kids' allowance in the General Assembly. And rightly so, because they've been acting like greedy brats.... - Chambersburg Public Opinion Legislators aren't rushing back to Harrisburg despite Corbett's request There are at least a couple concepts on which Republican leaders of the state House and Senate can agree: They're not fans of Gov. Tom Corbett's response to this year's budget, and they're not rushing back to Harrisburg to please him. Corbett is a Republican and so are the majorities in both chambers. But the... - Harrisburg Patriot-News Pension pressure State legislators characteristically have skipped town without dealing with the state government’s most pressing financial problem. Thursday, in response to the Legislature’s refusal to reform pension plans, Gov. Tom Corbett vetoed about $65 million in General Assembly... - Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice Somerset County line items remain the same It appears Somerset County will receive the same amount of funding from the state budget as in previous years. Somerset County Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said the state association has been keeping tabs on the budget process. Subscription Required - Somerset Daily Budget Puts Republican Corbett At Odds With GOP Lawmakers HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) – Governor Corbett’s decision to trim legislative funding from the new state budget is shining a light on the rift between the Republican governor and the legislative leaders of his own party who control the House and Senate. Still agitating for action on public pension reform, Governor Corbett... - KYW News Radio 1060 Wielding his veto pen, an angry Corbett finds his mojo - will it be enough?: John L. Micek Tom Corbett was angry. Even reading from what was pretty clearly a prepared script, he was no- foolin', stern Dad, prosecutor-unwilling-to-make-a-deal angry. "We made tough decisions so that funding could continue for the critical services and programs for the people of Pennsylvania," Corbett harrumphed... - Harrisburg Patriot-News July 10 Corbett signs state budget, vetoes legislative funding Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has signed the state spending plan, but he announced that he will enforce his line-item veto power to slash spending in the Legislature’s operating fund... - AP Veto, special session studied by Corbett to push Pa. pension reform HARRISBURG — Republican Gov. Tom Corbett is strongly considering using his veto power on Thursday to strike funding for the Legislature and calling a special session on pension reform, sources close to the governor say. The legislature's operating budget would be $280 million in the 2014-15... - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Corbett signs $29 billion budget, slams lawmakers over pension inaction HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett this morning said he has signed the state's 2014-15 budget, but also accused lawmakers of doing too little to repair the state's finances. Corbett said he was using his line-item veto authority to eliminate $65 million in General Assembly spending, and $7.2 million in legislative... - Allentown Morning Call Pa.'s missed opportunity By Dan White The new fiscal year has arrived, and Pennsylvanians are still without a budget. The legislature has passed a spending plan, but it ignores significant problems and will likely need to be revisited as soon as revenues begin to come in below expectations. Consider it the budget of... - Philadelphia Inquirer Gov. Corbett makes Pa. budget announcement: Live coverage Gov. Tom Corbett will hold a press conference at 10:30 this morning, where he is expected to announce his decision over whether to sign the proposed $29.1 billion budget, or send it back to the Legislature with a veto message demanding more work. PennLive reporters Eric Veronikis and Christina Kauffman, along with... - Harrisburg Patriot-News July 9 A look at the status of major or notable Pa. bills HARRISBURG, Pa. — A look at notable bills and where they stand as Pennsylvania lawmakers work to wrap up their spring session in Harrisburg:.. - AP Budget based on illusions By Sharon Ward As the General Assembly takes final action on the state budget, even before the ink is dry, the spending plan for the fiscal year that started July 1 will have begun its slow collapse. Although it was structured in the hopes of avoiding new cuts to things that... - Philadelphia Inquirer Scarnati to Corbett: Sign the budget State Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati is urging Gov. Tom Corbett to sign the state budget. The Senate leader issued a statement shortly after the chamber passed a fiscal code for the 2014-2015 budget, saying the General Assembly upheld its end of the deal by passing a budget with no taxes, as Corbett wished.... - Harrisburg Patriot-News Pa. Senate passes fiscal code bill, putting budget ball back in Corbett's court The Pennsylvania Senate gave approval Tuesday to one final piece of the 2014-15 state budget package. The Senate's 26-22 vote on the fiscal code bill setting out certain spending earmarks and placing rules on the use of other appropriations sends it to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk, and sets the stage for a final... - Harrisburg Patriot-News Budget impasse enters second week HARRISBURG — A state budget impasse entered its second week Tuesday as the Senate approved a key bill that directs how billions of tax dollars will be spent and transfers revenue from expanded gas drilling on public lands. The Senate voted 26-22 to accept the House version of the fiscal code bill... - Scranton Times July 8 Quiet fixes to festering problems tucked into budget bills Despite intense lobbying from Gov. Tom Corbett, the Legislature failed to act last week on pension reform. Legislative leaders pledge to revisit the issue in the fall, which will make for interesting times if lawmakers are confronting the highly-controversial topic weeks before facing voters in the election.... - Meadville Tribune Wide-ranging budget bill could end up in court HARRISBURG, Pa. — Key budget-related legislation on tap for consideration Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Senate covers topics from how oil and gas drilling should be regulated to how billions of dollars for public schools should be spent, despite complaints that it trips over..