Governor Josh Shapiro He said that while both sides “work aggressively” to solve the growing budget crisis in Pennsylvania, the time has come for the leaders to make difficult choices.
In a conversation on Thursday with reporters from Kulp Dairy Farm in Martinsburg, Shapiro said that finding a common plane “is really difficult in this business.”
“I will tell you that we are at the table,” he said. “We work aggressively. My task is to fill the differences between the Chamber and the Senate. They have different views on the world, various priorities, and my task is to find those areas where we can find an agreement.”
The governor said that he never expected his budget proposal worth $ 51.6 billion, which he provided in February, is the one who signs on the basis of an agreement by all those involved.
“The compromise is not a bad thing,” said Shapiro. “However, we are now when each leader, republican leaders of the Senate, democratic leaders, must make difficult choices.
“We are working on filling out these differences and working on closer and developing a product that can go in both the chamber and the Senate and reach my desk.”
Date of transferring the PA budget
President of the Pro tempore Senate Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) He agrees with the governor that a budget solution should be found, but he is afraid that the threat by SEPTA to cut off services in the Philadelphia region has increased in honor.
“This drama is unnecessary” Ward said to WHTM-TV 27. “Seriously, you will utilize children as pawns in this great draw to get exactly what you want to do for sept?
Philadelphia superintendent school district Tony Watlington He says that over 52,000 students from Philadelphia utilize SEPTA to get to school. With drastic cuts, many families are worried about how they will reach classes on time.
“We must transfer the budget, and this problem from mass transport took over all energy in the room,” Ward continued. “It’s annoying because they are still schools, hospital and care homes. Everything must be financed.”
Ward believes that there is a low -term solution that finances items that both Republicans and Democrats agree, but leaves more difficult problems such as mass transport for a later date.
“Money is there, money is coming, taxes come to the treasury every week,” said Ward. “There is no reason why we cannot throw away this money, and everything they repeat is” no, without a momentary budget. No, no. ” Well, good, we have to do something. “
Leader of the democratic house Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) He does not hide his contempt for the lack of progress in the state senate.
“The Senate didn’t even appear,” he said. “I hope, even at this dark hour, that the Senate will appear and succumb to their wounds and divisions in this body in this club, and propose a budget for which they can get 26 votes and show us what they can go.”
The Democratic Club in Pennsylvania in the Senate explains its point. It has 23 votes ready to adopt a budget, which finances “stable, reliable public transport. The Senate must return to the session and perform its role.”
Problem – Republicans currently have 27 votes.
Leader of most of the Senate Joe Pittman (R-tarstrong/Indiana/Jefferson/Westmoreland) WHTM said that “we also need a dialogue with the majority of home democrats.
His chamber adopted a budget worth $ 47.6 billion, which would transfer funds from the Mass Transit Trustery Fund to transport. Democrats called it unlike.
