With Pennsylvania Starved For Cash, Senate Set To Return From Summer Break
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- With the state now unable to pay its bills, the Senate returns from summer break Monday to tackle a controversial no-tax revenue plan passed by the House last week… a revenue plan intended to fully fund the state budget that became law in July.
With the revenue situation unresolved, the state treasurer said he would not authorize more short-term borrowing to keep the state flush with cash and on Friday, Governor Wolf announced he planned to delay almost $1.2 billion in Medicaid payments, and an almost $600 million payment due the state's School Employee Retirement System. The state House, at odds with the Senate and governor on revenues, on Wednesday pushed through a plan with no major tax hikes. The Senate has gotten some backlash for not immediately returning to address the House bill.
"It took the House six weeks to come to us with a final plan," said Jennifer Kocher, the spokeswoman for Senate majority Republican leaders, "and so we are going to take a couple of days and look it over, and do our due diligence."
Kocher says Senate members will get a briefing when they return Monday.