Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana) today issued the following statement regarding Gov. Ed Rendell’s announcement that he is considering measures to pay state workers while legislative leaders continue to hash out a final state budget agreement:
“For weeks, I have said that Pennsylvania state employees should be paid for the work they perform. For the folks who guard Pennsylvania prisons and state police who protect rural neighborhoods, today’s news is a welcome improvement. It represents their release from being used as budget hostages by the administration.
“This could have and should have been done weeks ago. State government continues to collect taxes and, therefore, should continue to pay its workers. However, the governor’s decision is better late than never.
“Now, it is important for House Democrat leaders to move on the governor’s decision. They must bring the bill up for a vote in the days ahead so that there will be no more payless paydays.
“Meanwhile, House and Senate leaders should continue to negotiate a final budget agreement that provides funding for our schools without increasing the burden on state taxpayers.
“Today’s announcement brings relief from an administration-concocted crisis. Hopefully, the budget process can now move forward without the political gamesmanship that too often detracts from the important work at hand. Pennsylvanians deserve a state budget and they deserve it sooner rather than later.”
The governor today asked House Democrat leaders to approve a budget measure introduced by Senate Republicans. The governor voiced his intent today to sign that measure into law. However, he said he will “blue line” – or line-item veto – all spending in that budget that was for areas he deems to be “nonessential.”
This would allow the state to pay government workers while the rest of the budget is hashed out by a bicameral, bipartisan committee of six legislative leaders. The full House and Senate would have to vote to approve whatever budget plan is brought forth from the committee and the governor would have to sign it into law for it to take effect.
Rep. Dave Reed
62nd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Contact: Dan Massing
House Republican Public Relations