Pennsylvania governor calls on Legislature to finalize budget

BUDGET, WE TAKE YOU THERE LIVE IN YEARS. DEMOCRATS CONTROL ONE CHAMBER AND REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE OTHER. TWO NEW DYNAMIC IN HARRISBURG AND IT’S UNIQUE COMPARED TO OTHER STATES IN A POLITICALLY DIVIDED COUNTRY, PENN SYLVANIA IS THE ONLY STATE IN THE NATION WITH A FULL TIME DIVIDED LEGISLATURE. THAT MEANS THAT ONE PARTY CAN’T GET DONE ANYTHING ON THEIR OWN. DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IF WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING HERE IN OUR STATE CAPITAL. I ROUTINELY POINTED THIS OUT TO HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY, TOO, WOULD REALIZE THIS REALITY AND AS THIS BUDGET PROCESS HAS SHOWN, IT’S NOT EASY AND IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. AND IT REQUIRES EVERY SIDE TO COMPROMISE. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, MY ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED WITH LEADERS IN BOTH CHAMBERS TO CRAFT A COMMON SENSE RESPONSE POSSIBLE BUDGET. ONE THAT MAKES CRITICAL INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY IN AGRICULTURE. TROOPER JACQUES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND MUCH MORE. AND WHILE LEADER PITTMAN, LEADER BRADFORD AND I AGREED IN PRINCIPLE ON A TOTAL SPEND NUMBER THAT LARGELY MIRRORED MY BUDGET PROPOSAL, WE NEVER WERE ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT, IN PART DUE TO ONE ISSUE THE SENATE BUDGET INCLUDED PASSED SCHOLARSHIPS $100 MILLION TO HELP LOW INCOME FAMILIES IN STRUGGLING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TO EMPOWER PARENTS TO PUT KIDS IN THE BEST POSITIONS FOR THEM TO SUCCEED. AND THAT WAS A PROPOSAL THAT I SUPPORT. BUT HOUSE DEMOCRATS MADE CLEAR THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS THEIR CHAMBER, PARTICULARLY THE T WITH THE SENATE’S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADVANCE MORE OF THE HOUSE’S PRIORITIES. WE WORKED HARD TO DEVELOP A BUDGET PACKAGE THAT COULD WIN SUPPORT OF BOTH CHAMBERS, BUT IN THE END WE COULD NOT REACH FINAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALL THREE PARTIES, WHICH I MADE CLEAR TO THE LEADERS OF BOTH CHAMBERS MULTIPLE TIMES IN PRIVATE AND IN MY PUBLIC STATEMENTS TO ALL OF YOU AS PRESIDENT PRO TEM WARD ACKNOWLEDGED HERSELF LAST WEEK A DEAL WAS IS QUOTE, ACTUALLY PRETTY CLOSE. BUT IN THE END, SENATE REPUBLICANS DID NOT CLOSE THE DEAL WITH THEIR HOUSE COUNTERPARTS. BUT RATHER THAN CLOSING A DEAL THAT WAS WITHIN REACH WITH HOUSE DEMOCRAT S, INSTEAD, THEY CHOSE TO SEND THE STATE HOUSE A BUDGET THAT WAS NOT AGREED UPON BY ALL THREE PARTIES, WHICH CONTAINED THE $100 FOR A PROGRAM THAT THE HOUSE WAS UNWILLING TO ADVANCE AT THIS TIME IN OUR COMMONWEALTH, I BELIEVE, SHOULD NOT BE PLUNGED INTO A PAINFUL, PROTRACTED BUDGET IMPASSE. S OVER ONE PROVISION OF THIS BUDGET. WHILE OUR COMMUNITIES WAIT FOR THE HELP AND RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED. THAT’S WHY, KNOWING THAT THE TWO CHAMBERS WILL NOT REACH CONSENSUS AT THIS TIME TO ENACT PASS AND MY BEING UNWILLING TO HOLD UP OUR ENTIRE BUDGET PROCESS OVER THIS ISSUE, I ANNOUNCED THAT I WILL LINE ITEM VETO THE FULL $100 MILLION APPROPRIATE ACTION LAST NIGHT, THE HOUSE CONCURRED WITH THE SENATE BUDGET BY A BIPARTISAN VOTE. OF 179 TO 86. LOOK, I AM UNWILLING TO ENGAGE IN THE SMALL. BALL, WHICH FOR SO LONG HAS STYMIED PROGRESS IN THIS BUILDING. WHEN THERE WAS A CHANCE, YES, TO ADOPT A BUDGET THAT MAKES HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN KEY PRIORITIES OF BOTH PARTIES AND ONE THAT IS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THIS BUDGET DELIVERS $40 BILLION TO ADDRESS WORKFORCE SHORTAGES WITH $30 MILLION FOR VOTECH AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS AND $10 MILLION FOR STIPENDS FOR STUDENT TEACHERS TO BRING MORE TEACHERS INTO THE CLASSROOMS. IT WOULD, FOR THE FIRST TIME FUND THE WHOLE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM WITH $50 MILLION OF STATE MONEY AND INVEST TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESSES AND MAKE OUR COMMONWEALTH MORE COMPETITIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, IT WOULD PROVIDE STATE FUNDING FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE TO FUND EFFORTS. AND AS WELL AS FUND EFFORTS TO STUDY THE DISPARITY IN MATERNAL MORTALITY. IT WOULD FUND FOUR NEW CLASSES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE. CADETS, INCREASE OUR SUPPORT FOR EMS PROVIDERS AND HELP COUNTIES PROVIDE CRITICAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. IT WOULD SUPPORT OUR FARMERS AND OUR AG INDUSTRY BY PROVIDING $34 MILLION TO HELP POULTRY FARMERS IMPACTED BY AVIAN INFLUENZA, AS WELL AS CREATING A NEW ORGANIC CENTER OF EXCELLENCE AND IT INCLUDES HISTORIC. SICK $1 BILLION INCREASED INVEST MENT IN K TO 12 PUBLIC EDUCATION ANNE, INCLUDING THE LARGEST INCREASE IN BASIC EDUCATION FUNDING. A FUNDING FORMULA THAT EACH OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS RELY ON. IT IS THE LARGEST INCREASE IN THE HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA. IT ESTABLISHES UNIVERSAL FREE BREAKFAST FOR EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT IN PENNSYLVANIA. IT ADDRESSES A CRITICAL NEED OF OUR CHILDREN IN CRITICAL NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CRYING OUT FOR PROVIDING. $100 MILLION IN MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING SO SCHOOLS CAN HIRE COUNSELORS AND PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR OUR KIDS WHO ARE IN NEED. THESE INVESTMENTS WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN OUR STUDENTS LIVES AND IN PEOPLE’S LIVES ALL ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. THINK ABOUT THE KID WHO WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO LEARN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. TROOPER JACQUES. THINK ABOUT THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO CAN SUPPORT AND HELP BUILD A BUSINESS. COULD POSSIBLY EVEN CHANGE THE WORLD. THINK ABOUT THE YOUNG PERSON WHO NOW HAS THE FREEDOM TO CHART THEIR OWN COURSE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED. THINK ABOUT THE MOM WHO CAN KNOW THAT HER COMMUNITY IS A BIT SAFER BECAUSE THERE’S MORE STATE TROOPERS ON THE BEAT. THIS BUDGET DELIVERS FOR THEM, AND IT WILL DO A LOT OF GOOD ALL ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. AND I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK THE DEMOCRATIC AND THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE WHO VOTED IN A BIPARTISAN MANNER FOR THIS BUDGET. BUT I RECOGNIZE THIS BUDGET ISN’T LAW YET. I WILL SIGN THIS BUDGET WHEN THE SENATE SENDS IT TO MY DESK. WE SHOULD NOT DELAY GETTING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA TO HELP AND THE SUPPORT THEY NEED. AND I HOPE THIS SENATE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST AND RETURN TO HARRISBURG TO SIGN THIS BILL, A NECESSARY ADMINIS ITERATIVE FUNCTION BEFORE IT CAN COME TO MY DESK FOR MY SIGNATURE TO MAKE IT LAW. LIKE THE BUDGET BILL, THE SENATE IS ALSO SITTING ON A BILL THAT PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS OVERWHELMINGLY TO EXPAND THE PROPERTY TAX RENT REBATE FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OUR SENIORS. THIS IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT WIN FOR THIS BODY, FOR THIS BUILDING, FOR THIS COMMON SENSE APPROACH. YOU KNOW, IT’S GOING TO HELP SENIORS STAY IN THEIR HOMES. IT’S BEEN 17 ANNE YEARS SINCE WE UPDATED THE FORMULA THAT PROVIDES RELIEF FOR OUR SENIORS. THIS BILL WOULD NEARLY DOUBLE THE REBATE FOR OUR SENIORS AND MAKE OVER. 170,000 MORE SENIORS ELIGIBLE FOR PROPERTY TAX RENT REBATE AND IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD TIE THE INCOME CAP TO A COST OF LIVING SO THAT NO ONE WOULD BECOME INELIGIBLE LABEL JUST BECAUSE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS WENT UP. THESE SENIORS WHO WORKED HARD, THEY NOW NEED US TO DELIVER FOR THEM AND ALL I NEED IS FOR THE SENATE TO RETURN TO PUT THIS BILL ON MY DESK SO THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY GET THE HELP THAT THEY DESERVE. I ALSO KNOW THAT BUDGETS ARE NORMALLY ACCOMPANIED BY WHAT’S KNOWN AS CODE BILLS. THAT’S LEGISLATION THAT LAYS OUT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON HOW SOME OF THAT FUNDING GETS SPENT IN OUR DIVIDED LEGISLATURE. TROOPER JACQUES IT’S NOW THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE TO FIND A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO IRON OUT THOSE DETAILS. THEY NEED TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER’S PERSPECTIVE, AND THEY NEED TO MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND THEY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO CLOSE THE DEAL ALL TOGETHER WITH ONE ANOTHER. IN THE MEANTIME, I’LL REMAIN HARD AT WORK DELIVERING FOR THE GOOD PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA. AND WITH THAT, I’LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE A FEW OF YOUR QUESTIONS. CAN YOU SAY HOW MANY TIMES YOURSELF, MR. BRADFORD, MR. PITTMAN SAT IN THE SAME ROOM AND TALKED ABOUT THIS? THERE WERE NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE WE SAT TOGETHER AND NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE WE SPOKE TOGETHER. HOW MANY WERE PHYSICALLY IN PERSON, HOW MANY WERE THROUGH OTHER COMMUNICATIONS. BUT IT WAS MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE LAST ONE MONTHS. I DON’T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE WE SPOKE REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADERS SAY THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH HOUSE DEMOCRATS, BUT THEY SAY THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH YOU AND THAT THEY AGREED TO THINGS THAT THEY WOULDN’T OTHERWISE AGREE TO IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF PASS VOUCHERS. THEY SAY THEY FEEL BETRAYED. THEY’RE NOT SURE HOW THIS RELATIONSHIP CAN CONTINUE GOING FORWARD IN THE BIPARTISAN WAY THAT IT HASN’T GO YOUR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL THAT? LOOK, I RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THEM WANT TO DISTRACT FROM THE REALITY THAT THEY NOW FIND THEMSELVES IN. AND THERE WAS NEVER A DEAL BETWEEN ALL THREE PARTIES THAT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY ALL THE PARTIES PRIVATELY AND PUBLICLY. THEY NOW NEED TO GET IN A ROOM WITH THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS AND THEY NEED TO LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER. AND THEY NEED TO WORK ON THESE CODE BILLS AND RETURN TO HARRISBURG TO GET THE BUDGET BILL TO MY DESK TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS NEXT QUESTION THERE, THEY’VE SAID THAT YOU BETRAYED THEY SAID THAT YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISES. DO YOU THINK THAT’S A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF THE DISCUSSION YOU HAVE? IT’S OBVIOUSLY NOT ACCURATE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEIR OWN LEADER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS NOT A DEAL AND MULTIPLE TIMES IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS NO DEAL BETWEEN THE PARTIES. TROOPER JACQUES YEAH, IT’S CONTINUAL ON THIS LINE HERE. THE SENATE REPUBLICANS SAID THAT YOU DIDN’T DEAL WITH THE HOUSE, YOU DIDN’T DO ANY NEGOTIATING WITH THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS TO TO REACH A BUDGET AGREEMENT FOR THE LAST 2 TO 3 WEEKS. AND SO THEY THEY THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE CARRYING THE HOUSE DEMOCRAT ON YOUR BACK WHENEVER YOU WENT INTO MEETINGS WITH THEM. SO, I MEAN, ARE THEY DID THEY SOMEHOW HAVE A WRONG ASSUMPTION ABOUT THAT? I THINK THAT’S AN INACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION. WHAT’S CLEAR IS THAT THE SENATE REPUBLICANS WERE UNWILLING ING TO CONSIDER THE PRIORITIES OF THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS, AND AS A RESULT, THE PARTIES COULD NOT AGREE ON A BUDGET AGREEMENT. THEY THEN MADE A UNILATERAL DECISION TO SEND THIS BILL OVER TO THE HOUSE. THEY MAY NOT LIKE HOW THIS PROCESS PLAYED OUT, BUT IT’S THE PROCESS THAT THEY PUT INTO EFFECT BECAUSE OF THEIR INABILITY TO CLOSE THE DEAL WITH THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS. HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH SENATE REPUBLICANS SINCE THE BUDGET PASSED LAST NIGHT? I SPOKE TO THEM JUST BEFORE IT PASSED, YES. IN TERMS OF THE CODES, BILL, DEMOCRATS SAY THAT THEY’RE NOT TERRIBLY NECESSARY, WHEREAS REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’RE AN IMPASSE AND NOTHING CAN MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT THEM. WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE NECESSITY OF THESE CODES BILLS? I THINK BOTH PARTIES NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND COMMUNICATE OPENLY AND HONESTLY ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE GOING FORWARD. AND I THINK THAT DIALOG SHOULD HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY. ON THAT SAME ALONG THE SAME LINES. SO DID YOU CONSIDER WHEN WHEN YOUR GENERAL COUNSEL RESPONDED TO HOUSE DEMOCRATS, CHIEF COUNSEL, DID YOU CONSIDER THAT YOUR ADMINISTRATION IS ARGUMENT ABOUT PASS ALSO STANDS FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES OF YOUR SOME OF YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN WRITTEN IN CODE BEFORE? I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. I THINK BOTH PARTIES NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND WORK ON THOSE CODE BILLS. GOVERNOR? YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS DEBATE HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY VOUCHERS WHICH WERE ADDED INTO THE BUDGET BY SENATE REPUBLICANS. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT KIND OF PRECIPITATED THAT WAS YOU SENT YOUR ADMINISTRATION SENT A LETTER TO SENATE REPUBLICANS. I THINK IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO SAYING THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS. IT’LL REITERATE A PUBLIC STANCE. YOU’VE ALREADY TAKEN DURING THE CAMPAIGN. BUT WHY DID YOU SEND THAT LETTER THEN AND DID YOUR ADMINISTRATION ACTIVELY PUSH FOR MY POSITION HAS BEEN UNCHANGED ON THIS ISSUE. I SPOKE OUT ABOUT IT DURING THE CAMPAIGN. I SPOKE ABOUT IT AS GOVERNOR AND I STATED JUST HERE A FEW MOMENTS AGO. MY SUPPORT FOR IT. LOOK, HERE’S MY VIEW. YOU HAVE TO FULLY FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND WE MADE AN HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ANNE THANKS TO THE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE WHO VOTED FOR THIS BUDGET. I ALSO THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CHILD OF GOD GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED AND IN SOME CASES, ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL HELP IN THAT PROCESS IS CAN BE HELPFUL TO SOME CHILDREN. I HAVE STATED THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THAT REMAINS MY POSITION. BUT IT ALSO REMAINS CLEAR THAT THE SENATE NEEDS TO DO ITS WORK WITH THE HOUSE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR SHARED PRIORITIES BE HEARD. LET ME BE CLEAR. THE HOUSE HAS PASSED MULTIPLE BILLS, FOUR OF WHICH I THINK ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM, THE FAIRNESS ACT, THE TWO GUN BILLS, WHICH FOR THESE PURPOSES IS CONSIDERING IS ONE AND MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH THEY’VE PASSED MANY OTHER BILLS. THOSE ARE FOUR CRITICAL BILLS THAT PASSED IN THE HOUSE AND WENT OVER TO THE SENATE. AND THEY’VE NOT MOVED. THE SENATE SEEMINGLY PASSED ONE IMPORTANT BILL TO THEM, PRO TEM WORDS BILL THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN UP BY THE SPEAKER AND PASSED AND I SIGNED THAT INTO LAW, AS I BELIEVE, ACT ONE. IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT BOTH SIDES BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE OTHER SIDE’S PRIORITIES AND WORK TOGETHER. I’LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO FOSTER THAT. I’LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO CONTINUE TO BRING THE PARTIES TOGETHER. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY NEED TO LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS. AND BOTH SIDES NEED TO HAVE THEIR PRIORITIES RESPECTED. WE’LL TAKE ONE MORE. I THINK I GOT EVERYBODY. WHAT HAPPENED TO RESPONDING TO THE ARGUMENT REPUBLICANS MADE THAT SAYING THAT WE DON’T RUN THE PASS PROGRAM BECAUSE THE LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE ISN’T IN PLACE. AND WE ALSO SHOULDN’T FUND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ALSO DON’T HAVE CODE LANGUAGE IN PLACE. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT ARGUMENT? WELL, I’LL RESPOND TO YOU AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT THESE PROGRAMS HAVE NOW BEEN FUNDED BECAUSE THE GI BILL HAS BEEN PASSED BY BOTH CHAMBERS. IT IS NOW UP TO BOTH SIDES TO WORK TOGETHER ON ANY NECESSARY CODE LANGUAGE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS DOING THAT WORK