Senate Republicans expected to unveil budget plan today
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HARRISBURG -- Those waiting on details of the state budget agreement had to be patient Sunday, as lawmakers reshuffled their agenda for the rare weekend work day.
Plans to consider two key budget measures in a Senate panel were scuttled. Staffers said that was due to delays in drafting those bills, which will contain the program funding levels agreed to by top GOP lawmakers and the governor last week.
That change of schedule left Democratic lawmakers, who have not been included in budget talks, with time to reiterate their calls for a Marcellus Shale gas tax and for more money to higher education.
And to remind their Republican counterparts that four days are left before the budget deadline.
When a bill to create a state spending database came up at a committee meeting Sunday, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman noted that money was in the budget to pay for the initiative.
"Anything else in the budget we need to know about?" asked Sen. Vincent Hughes, the ranking Democrat on that panel.
"All in due time," replied Mr. Corman.
That wait may be over today, with the Senate expected to unveil details of the spending plan. The Senate could approve it by Tuesday, giving the House two days to send it to the governor's desk.
Some additional details have trickled out on that plan, while other line-items were said to still be in flux over the weekend as bill-drafting began.
A final figure for basic K-12 education is not yet publicly available. But the $100 million for accountability block grants that the House added back in to the governor's proposal is expected to remain at that level.
School districts use those block grants to pay for full-day kindergarten programs, as well as services like tutoring.
First Published June 27, 2011 12:00 am
