Rendell May Not Sign New Pa. Budget
by KYW's Tony Romeo
Governor Rendell says he won't likely sign Pennsylvania's new budget until Tuesday -- if at all.
There was much jubilation Wednesday when lawmakers passed a budget bill on time, but the governor says he can't sign the general appropriations bill until lawmakers pass budget companion bills, and there's a potential snag over the Republicans' desire to create an independent fiscal office to monitor revenues. The governor has ten days to sign the budget bill and if the companion bills aren't passed by then, the governor says he'll have to veto the budget:
"Because I have a constitutional responsibility to only sign a budget that balances and without the revenues in the fiscal code and the hospital assessments, I couldn't sign it."
A spokesman for the Senate Republican leader says Rendell could line item veto the budget to balance it and says vetoing the entire bill would send everything back to square one. The spokesman also believes there will not be a problem in the end.
