The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is passing a nearly $31.6 billion spending plan to the Senate, but it hasn’t convinced Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf that it’s balanced or adequate.
The House’s vote, 132-68, came Tuesday, two days before the state’s 2016-17 fiscal-year deadline. The plan won support from House Democratic leaders, putting Wolf in a position of criticizing a plan his close allies are backing.
In the Senate, leaders are cool to the House’s plans.
The 5 percent spending increase is being driven by pension obligations, human services and public school aid, as well as an attempt to balance an estimated $1.8 billion deficit.
It would be balanced by higher taxes on tobacco products and an expansion of legalized gambling to the internet and airports. But House leaders are staying quiet about the details of their plan to increase taxes on tobacco products.
They also aren’t saying where they’ll find money to pay for school construction costs.
