Sep. 24, 2015

Area lawmaker supports allocating emergency funding to struggling entities

HARRISBURG – Through a meaningful effort to financially assist struggling social service agencies and school districts across the state, Rep. Brian Ellis (R-Butler) joined the majority of his House colleagues in passing an emergency funding package on Thursday. The measure has been sent to Gov. Tom Wolf for his consideration.

“This state budget impasse is real, the effects are real, and the people it’s hurting are real,” Ellis stated. “This impasse was created solely by Gov. Tom Wolf back in June, when he vetoed the General Assembly’s balanced budget plan. As it stands, the governor is the only one who can end it, and I hope today’s action was a step in that direction.”

State appropriations amounting to $11 billion, retroactively to July 1 (and carrying through to Oct. 31), were included in the plan the House passed Thursday. Additionally, the emergency funding included $24.3 billion in federal dollars to reach their intended recipients, and PHEAA and county child welfare funding would be disbursed at 50 percent.

“I wish we were in a place where we were voting on a final budget today, instead of this emergency funding plan,” Ellis said. “However, some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens rely on state funding to operate as usual in their day-to-day lives. I do not believe students, senior citizens, veterans, and those with special needs, among many others, deserve to be put out due to one man’s mission to massively raise taxes on every Pennsylvania business, worker and resident.”

The General Assembly passed a balanced budget plan on June 30. Within the same hour, the governor swiftly vowed to veto the entire plan, even though 274 out of 401 line items were greater than (or equal to) what he originally requested. The House came back to session in August to attempt to override some of the vetoes – only including line items all parties agreed on – but the House Democrats blocked the votes. House Republicans again voted in favor of funding these schools and agencies suffering from financial struggles by passing this plan Thursday.

“The taxpayers have paid the state,” Ellis said. “We have the money to fund the line items, and my colleagues and I have attempted to do so three times now. The governor and his legislative allies haven’t agreed to send them the money they deserve.”

For more information about this issue, or any other state-related issue, contact Ellis’ district office in Lyndora located at 6 Chesapeake St., Suite 200, by calling 724-283-5852. Information can also be found online at RepEllis.com, or Facebook.com/RepEllis.

Representative Brian Ellis
11th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Krisinda Corbin
717.705.2032
kcorbin@pahousegop.com
RepEllis.com / Facebook.com/RepEllis
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