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For Immediate Release
June 30, 2010
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White: Senate Approves State Budget that Restrains Spending, Rejects Tax Hikes

Harrisburg - The state Senate today approved a state budget package that restrains state spending and maintains state services and programs without a broad-based tax increase, said Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21) who supported the measure. 

In February, Governor Rendell requested a $1.155 billion – about 4.1 percent -- increase in state spending for Fiscal Year 2010-11. House Bill 2279, as amended and approved by the Senate today, reduced spending by $1 billion from the Governor’s request – which held the total increase to less than 1 percent.  

HB 2279 appropriates $28.04 billion in spending for FY 2010-11, a 0.7 percent increase from $27.84 billion in 2009-10. 

The Senate plan rejected the Governor’s request to impose millions of dollars in new taxes. Rendell proposed extending the state sales tax to 74 new items and increasing taxes on employers.  

White said that while keeping spending to a lower level, House Bill 2279 also increases funding for education and ensures that the state continues to fund core government programs and services. 

"This is far from a perfect budget, but in the end the General Assembly rejected calls for big spending increases and the tax hikes required to pay for them. As long as Pennsylvania taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet, the Commonwealth must govern in a fiscally conservative manner and live within its means."

CONTACT:

Leigh Ramsey
(717) 787-9684