GOP budget bill facing Wolf's veto heads to Senate

(AP) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved an approximately $30 billion Republican-crafted budget bill on Saturday as the Wolf administration and top GOP lawmakers positioned themselves for a government shutdown and the first veto of an entire budget in at least four decades.

Without an enacted budget package by Wednesday, the Wolf administration will lose some spending authority, including billions for public schools and safety-net services, such as child welfare services, homeless shelters, child care centers, food pantries, addiction counseling and attendants for the mentally disabled.

Republicans characterized their bill as a taxpayer friendly alternative to Wolf's proposal to raise spending by $2.6 billion and taxes by $4-plus billion in his bid to wipe out a long-term structural deficit and deep, Republican-sponsored cuts in education aid in 2011.

Democrats blasted the Republican plan for leaving education aid below 2010 levels and said it was balanced on more than $1.5 billion in stopgaps that would worsen a deficit that has plunged Pennsylvania's bond rating into the nation's basement.

Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, echoed the Wolf administration's contention that payment delays built into the GOP plan would mean just $8 million in increased aid to public schools.

During the House debate, dozens of people held a prayer session in the Capitol Rotunda as part of a 10-day demonstration by a coalition of interfaith organizations that have joined education groups in calling for $3.6 billion more in public school aid.