HARRISBURG -- The state Senate today (Sunday, July 2) approved a $26.1 billion general fund budget for fiscal year 2006-07 that restores funding that the Governor had proposed to reduce or eliminate to vital community, agricultural and human services programs, according to Senator Noah Wenger, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman.

HB 2499, as amended by the Appropriations Committee and approved by the Senate, also includes significant increases in funding for Pennsylvania’s public schools and institutes of higher education, Senator Wenger added.

“The bottom line is that we were indeed fortunate that this was a good economic year for the Commonwealth. The resulting surplus of revenues over projections gave us some latitude to augment our Rainy Day Fund, while addressing the Governor’s proposed cuts and providing more money for Pennsylvania’s schools,” Senator Wenger said.

In his original budget unveiled in February, Governor Rendell proposed slashing $113,559,000 from a variety of programs and services.

“The Governor proposed eliminating funding for vital programs such as providing new vans for the Disabled American Veterans and to support the New Choices/New Options Program for women victimized by domestic violence. There is no way that the General Assembly would ever condone nor allow those cuts,” Senator Wenger said.

The budget includes an overall 5.9 percent increase in basic education spending (up $265 million) for a total of nearly $4.8 billion. This includes additional funding for growth districts, local tax relief and small district assistance. Individual school districts are guaranteed a minimum 3.5 percent increase in funding.

Special education funding is proposed to increase by 2.9 percent (up $27.5 million) for a total of $980.6 million.

$10 million is allocated for Approved Private Schools audit resolution, doubling the $5 million proposed by the Governor.

Higher education increases will be tiered in 2006-07:

• Community Colleges would see a 5 percent increase to a total of nearly $264.7 million.

• State System of Higher Education funding would increase by 5.0 percent ($22. million) to a total of $487.9 million.

• State-Related Universities funding would increase by nearly $31 million to a total of $675.4 million.

• Non-State Related University funding would increase by $7.4 million to a total of nearly $90 million.

• PHEAA grants to students will increase by $18 million to almost $386.2 million.

Library funding is increased 23 percent to $75.5 million, restoring that appropriation to the amount similar that libraries last received from the state in FY 2002-03.

The budget also includes funding to bring the State Police up to its statutory complement of troopers, an objective strenuously promoted in recent years by the Senate Republican Caucus and House Republicans. In addition, Funding is included to provide additional resources to the Attorney General for local drug task forces.