Pennsylvania Senate passes spending plan, budget remains at standstill

(WHTM)– The Pennsylvania Senate came to Harrisburg and worked into the evening Tuesday night, passing both a spending plan and a transportation bill to fund mass transit.

Although this is a positive step for Pennsylvania lawmakers, the multi-month budget stalemate continues. A week ago, the State House passed a $50.6 billion budget. The House passed a bill on Monday that would redirect state sales tax revenue to mass transit, roads, and bridge repairs, and urged the House to take action.

The Senate took action on Tuesday night, passing a $47.6 billion budget that essentially maintains the budget from the previous fiscal year, well below where House Democrats and the Governor want to be.

The Senate also passed a bill that would fund mass transit for two years by moving money from a transportation trust fund that Democrats say is earmarked for improvement projects and not recurring revenue to support mass transit in the long term.

Both sides have passed their priorities, yet they continue to disagree with each other’s priorities.