Budget

• February 2010 - Education Brief (PDF)

• Allegheny Conference on Community Development endorses 2009-2010 budget agreement

• Fiscal Code – Act 50/2009

• October 2009 - Legislative Update: The 2009-2010 State Budget

• October 14, 2009 - Letter to Speaker Keith McCall (House of Representatives) from Senators Dominic Pileggi and Joe Scarnati regarding unfinished budget-related legislation.

• October 14, 2009 - Senator Orie:  New Independent Fiscal Office to Help Reform Budget Process

• October 9, 2009 - 2009-10 Budget General Fund State Appropriations

• October 9, 2009 - Budget Letter from Senator Orie

• October 7, 2009 - Letter from Sen. Mary Jo White, Chairman, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee regarding DEP Budget (PDF)

• October 5, 2009 - The Senate Republicans announce that they will move quickly to send  a complete budget package to the House to expedite passage of a spending plan.
  

• October 5, 2009 - The Senate Republicans announce that they will move quickly to send  a complete budget package to the House to expedite passage of a spending plan.
  

  • BUDGET PRINTOUT: This document contains a line-by-line summary of the General Appropriations amendment to be considered in the Appropriations Committee later today. (It will be considered as an amendment to SB 1085.) The total spending level in this proposal is $27.83 billion.
  • BUDGET BASICS: This highlights some of the main points from the budget printout.

• October 1, 2009 - Senate Republican leaders discuss the need for House action on a state budget agreement.
  
  - Governor Rendell Press Conference

• September 28, 2009 - At a Capitol news conference, Senator Dominic Pileggi provides reporters with an update on the budget.
  

• September 18, 2009 - Senate Republican Leadership joined other legislative leaders and the Governor to announce an agreement in principle on the 2009-2010 state budget.
  - News Conference

• September 11, 2009 - PA Chamber memo

• September 11, 2009 - Legislative Leaders Announce Budget Agreement

  • - Press Conference
  • 2009-10 Tentative Budget Agreement Summary (PDF)
• September 1, 2009 - Conference Committee Moving Beyond Posturing

• HB 1943 Tracking Run

• August 27, 2009 - Senator Pileggi responds to House Democratic press conference accusing Republicans of refusing to compromise in budget negotiations and creating potential financial disaster for PA.
  

• August 19, 2009 - Memo to caucus on local school budget options during budget impasse (PDF)

• August 19, 2009 - Senator Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) calls the Governor’s veto of domestic violence and rape crisis services repugnant and incomprehensible.
  

• August 18, 2009 - Senate to Consider Line-Item Veto Overrides

• August 11, 2009 - Updated Budget Information:

  • Education Budget Comparison

  • Changes to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

  • Blue-Lined Items

• 2009 - 2010 Conference Committee Hearings

• August 5, 2009 - Eligible Pennsylvanians can now receive an additional seven weeks of extended unemployment benefits under a new law.  This change will affect approximately 20,000 Pennsylvanians immediately and 60,000 through the end of the calendar year.

  There are three necessary steps for beneficiaries to take advantage of extended benefits.

  First, the state must certify its qualifying unemployment rate (6.5%  or more for three consecutive months) with the U.S. Department of Labor.  This was done last week.

  Then, the state must notify the U.S. Department of Labor of the required change in our trigger law to take advantage of the extension.  That is currently being completed.

  Finally, those eligible for these benefits must apply.  The state Department of Labor and Industry will begin mailing claim forms to recipients immediately.  Provided they qualify and there are no problems with the claims, recipients should receive benefits in about two weeks.

• August 4, 2009 - "Let the games continue. The House Democrat Leadership controlled the process so that SB 850 is now on its way to the Governor so that he can use his line item veto and blue line most of the budget proposal but allow state employees to an be paid. The same state employees who were being held hostage by the Governor. He should have been paying them all along but now that the US Dept of Labor is investigating the state under the Fair Labor Standards Act he needed a way out. But, counties and school districts will continue to be held hostage. The only limited good thing to come out of this is word from the House Democrat Leadership that the 16% PIT increase is off the table. Still waiting for the Governor to say it is dead. Now the question is whether all taxes are dead and can we adopt a budget spending less than last year."

• August 3, 2009 - Senator Scarnati's letter to Rep. Smith regarding Senate Bill 850

• Rep. Kotik and House Blue Dog Democrats

• July 27, 2009 - Letter from Major General Jessica L. Wright regarding State Veterans' Homes

• July 22, 2009 - Displaced Workers Can Enroll in "Mini-COBRA" Program 

• July 21, 2009 - Statement from Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi

• July 21, 2009 - Senator Jane Orie (R-40) discusses Senate passage of an amended budget bill and the role Blue Dog Democrats could play in the process.
  

• July 20, 2009 - Orie: Senate Budget Puts PA on Stable Course Without Tax Hike

• July 20, 2009 - Senator Orie comments after the Senate voted to amend House Bill 1416.  The vote restored higher education and student aid to the general fund budget. The Senate spending plan is balanced and does not require any tax increases.
  

•  July 20, 2009 - Senate amends House budget bill Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25), Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9), Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman (R-34) and Majority Whip Jane C. Orie (R-40) met with media Monday afternoon after the Senate voted to amend House Bill 1416.
  The amendment, approved by a bi-partisan 31-19 vote, restored higher education and student aid to the general fund budget. The $27.14 billion spending plan is balanced and does not require any tax increases.
  The Senate is poised to vote on final passage of the measure later today.
  

• July, 20, 2009 - Updated version of Senate budget proposal

• July 20, 2009 - Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati tells Gov. Ed Rendell to pay state workers (The Patriot News)

• July 19, 2009 - Senate Passes Fiscal Forecasting Reform Measure

• July 18, 2009 - Appropriations Committee Reports House Budget With Negative Recommendation
  Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman (R-34) and Senate Majority Whip Jane C. Orie (R-40) met with media on Saturday morning after the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to report House Bill 1416 to the full Senate with a "negative recommendation."
  The Republican leaders opposed the House plan to remove higher education from the general fund budget. The House proposal would either create a $1.3 billion deficit in the budget requiring Pennsylvania to either raise taxes or strip funding from State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities, state related universities (Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Lincoln University) and community colleges.
  

• July 15, 2009 - Senator Orie Comments on State Budget Impasse
  

• July 14, 2009 - Appropriations Committee Approves Senate Bill 1
  

• July 8, 2009 - Senator Orie Urges Action on a State Budget that Cuts Spending and Includes No New Taxes
  

• July 6, 2009 - Enacting a Responsible State Budget

• July 2, 2009 - Letter from Senator Orie to state employees. 

• July 2, 2009 - Senator Orie continues to oppose any new taxes. 

• July 2, 2009 - Rendell keeps digging deeper hole for Pa. (The Mercury)

• The Facts About Pennsylvania's State Budget
  Fact vs. Fiction
  Budget Deadline Chart

• June 2009 - Senate Appropriations Report

• May 2009 - Senate Appropriations Report

• Budget Facts 2009 from the Commonwealth Foundation

• May 6, 2009 - Senator Orie offers remarks during debate on Senate Bill 850, a $27.3 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2009-10.
  

• April 2009 - Senate Appropriations Report

• March 17, 2009 - Correspondence between Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi and Governor Rendell regarding budget/revenue situation (PDF)

• March 4, 2009 - During the Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Acting Secretary of Aging John Michael Hall.
  

• March 3, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak.
  

• March 2, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle Richman.
  

• March 2009 - Senate Appropriations Report

• February 26, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions members of the Governor's executive offices.
  

• February 26, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions PGCB Chair Mary DiGiacomo Colins.
  
  
  WGAL Channel 8 News

• February 25, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Acting DEP Secretary John Hanger.
  

• February 25, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Treasury Secretary Rob McCord.
  

• February 24, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions PCCD Executive Director Michael Kane.
  

• February 24, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Secretary of Corrections Jeffrey Beard.
   
  

• February 23, 2009 - During a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Senator Orie questions Budget Secretary Mary Soderberg and Acting Secretary of Revenue Stephen Stetler.
  

• February 4, 2009 - Senator Orie Says She Will Fight For a "Sensible, Practical and Within our Means" Spending Plan
  

  • Governor Rendell's proposed FY 2009-10 budget

  • Line by line tracking report of Governor Rendell's proposed FY 2009-2010 budget

• January 2009 - Senate Appropriations Report

• December 29, 2008 - Budget Op-Ed