2009 - 2010 Budget Conference Committee

September 1, 2009 - Conference Committee Moving Beyond Posturing

September 1, 2009 - Conference Committee meeting on HB 1416

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."

July 30, 2009 - Day Two Conference Committee – Administration a no show, the House Democrats playing Carnac the Magnificent - asking questions of their staff for which everyone already knows the answer, still no commitment to take the PIT increase off the table nor agree to a spend figure – still Republican $27.1 billion, no tax increase budget versus $29 billion and 16% PIT increase. Day ends after the Governor calls Rep. Evans, Rep. Evans recesses the meeting and a meeting setup for Friday between Rep. Evans, the Governor and Sen. Pileggi, who continues to push a responsible budget spend level with no new taxes.
- Senator Corman
- Senator Pileggi
- Meeting Recessed to the Call of the Chair

July 29, 2009 - The Democrats to the conference committee are still pushing for more spending and refuse to agree to a spending level that would not require any tax increases and spend less than last year. The only relatively good news from yesterday is the Governor realizing he needs to pay state workers – unfortunately he still is refusing to just pay state workers as required under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act and he is looking to his line item veto power and adopt a bare bones budget to pay state workers and putting the budget crisis onto school districts and everyone who receives funding through the state – including counties.
- Senator Corman
- Senator Pileggi