House GOP Offers Budget Change

A Pennsylvania House Republican leader says the GOP may be willing to accept a higher budget figure, if it doesn’t include new taxes.
Up until this point, Republican leaders have said they won’t accept a budget higher than 27.5 billion dollars. That’s the total in a new bill put forward by House Appropriations Minority Chair Mario Civera. But now the Delaware County Republican said his caucus could vote for a 27.8 billion dollar budget, if the circumstances are right.

"I’m saying if you push em. In other words, if the other side comes back—you’ve got to give room to negotiate—if the other side comes back and says alright, well we’ve got a 27.8 spending plan. Without tax increase, you just about make that work."

According to most reports, Governor Rendell and House Democratic leaders are still pushing for a budget that’s 28.5 billion dollars or higher.
A spokesman for Senate Republicans says the caucus still isn’t willing to go above 27 and a half billion dollars.