House panel rejects Pa. GOP budget - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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billion budget plan in a 20 to 14 vote on Senatebill 850, the counterproposal to Gov. Ed Rendell’ds $29 billion budget, would not have restored any ofthe Governor’s cuts and would have made deepe cuts to balance a widening budget hole. This year’s budget shortfall is now projectedat $3.2 nearly a billion dollars more than Rendell projected in February. Amonbg the funding cuts proposed in theRepublicab plan, were education, public welfare and $250 milliojn in tax credits. The plan would have reliede on $2.3 billion in federal stimulus including $729 million to offset cuts to educatiohn funding.
“I do not believe that Senate Bill 850 takexs us in theright direction,” Housde Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans “I believe we have to have a compromisre approach.” Evans said other options, including a general tax increaswe in conjunction with cuts, should be considered because of the highee revenue shortfall the state faces. The defeat puts the process of adoptinv a budget back atsquare one, said Rep. Doug R-Berks/Lehigh, who voiced oppositionb to tax increases. “There are 22 days until the end of thefiscap year,” Reichley said.
”Republicans will not be votingt for tax increases to pay for more spending durinyg this recession no matter how often Democratd tell us that we need to betaxede more.”