Governor Wolf Carries Through On Veto Threat For Stopgap Budget
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, P.A., (CBS) -- Governor Wolf has carried through on his threat to veto short-term, stopgap budget legislation as the state budget stalemate nears the end of its third month.
The stopgap legislation would have provided about four months of funding retroactive to the July 1 start of the fiscal year. Governor Wolf announced that he had vetoed the stopgap bills early Tuesday afternoon. On Monday evening, following another budget negotiating session that produced no breakthroughs, Wolf explained his reasoning for the veto.
"I want to keep the pressure up. Pennsylvanians want a budget. That's what I want. I don't want a stopgap, I don't want a continuing resolution. I want a budget, and I'm willing to work hard and consistently to get one," Wolf said.
Wolf announced the actual veto early Tuesday afternoon, just moments after Auditor General Eugene DePasquale told reporters that through September, 17 school districts and two intermediate units have been forced to borrow more than $346 million dollars, and that interest and fees for that borrowing could top more than $11 million.
"If the October first payments aren't made to school districts, the total amount borrowed by the school districts that are impacted will be nearly a half a billion dollars projected," DePasquale said.
$275 million of the borrowing was by Philadelphia schools.