For Immediate Release
8/18/09

Senate to Consider Line-Item Veto Overrides

HARRISBURG – In an effort to ensure that essential and time-sensitive core government functions are funded without interruption while budget negotiations continue, the Senate on Wednesday will begin to consider overrides of some of Governor Rendell's line-item vetoes.

"The Governor keeps trying to sell his snake oil, but the people of Pennsylvania still aren't buying," said Lieutenant Governor and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25). "The Governor wants a crisis atmosphere to give himself leverage in the budget negotiations – he said so, directly, when he vetoed these programs. The votes on Wednesday to override his vetoes will be the first step in ensuring that vital state programs are not shut down while the overall budget negotiations continue."

"The Governor's decision to veto funding for line items such as food banks shows a lack of compassion for Pennsylvanians who are struggling with record-high unemployment rates," said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9). "While we continue to negotiate a final state budget, our caucus is eager to ensure that the families who need these services are not treated like pawns on a chess board."

"College students are returning to school right now," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman (R-34). "By choosing to veto funding for PHEAA grants, the Governor has put many students at risk of dropping out of school this fall for no good reason at all."

"Victims of rape and domestic violence should not be used as hostages in the budget debate," said Senate Majority Whip Jane Orie (R-40). "Vetoing the funding for these programs is particularly vile since the amount included in Senate Bill 850 matched the Governor's recommendation, dollar for dollar. On Wednesday, we will vote to restore crucial funding for these programs – funding that should never have been vetoed."

A vote to override the Governor's veto requires a two-thirds majority. With one vacancy in the Senate, that means that 33 "yes" votes are needed to approve an override.

If an override is approved in the Senate, it would be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. If the House also overrides a line-item veto, the funding will be immediately available.

Among the line items which may be voted on are several which the Governor vetoed despite the fact that Senate Bill 850 funded them at exactly the amount he recommended:

• Assistance to Drug & Alcohol Programs, $41.8 million
• Homeless Assistance, $25.6 million
• State Food Purchase (Food Banks), $18.0 million
• Domestic Violence, $12.5 million
• Rape Crisis, $7.1 million
• Veterans' Educational Assistance, $7.0 million
• Farmers' Market Food Coupons, $2.2 million
• Veterans' Outreach Services, $1.7 million
• Veterans Assistance, $428,000
• Disabled Veterans Transportation, $350,000

Override votes could also take place on several additional line items under which the lack of state funding is having an immediate and dramatic negative impact on Pennsylvania residents, including:

• County Child Welfare, $1.04 billion
• PHEAA Grants to Students, $386.2 million
• Child Care Assistance, $198.1 million
• Child Care Services, $159.8 million
• Community Mental Retardation Programs, $158.4 million
• Children's Health Insurance, $86.9 million

Senator Corman added that there is plenty of existing funding for the programs being considered tomorrow. "Governor Rendell certified more than $25 billion in available revenue," he said. "He signed less than $11 billion of spending into law, and the overrides we will consider tomorrow total less than $2.2 billion."

CONTACTS:

Tim Nyquist (Sen. Scarnati), mnyquist@pasen.gov, (814) 726-7201

Erik Arneson (Sen. Pileggi), earneson@pasen.gov, (717) 787-4712

Anna Fitzsimmons (Sen. Corman), afitzsimmons@pasen.gov, (717) 787-1377

Mike Sarfert (Sen. Orie), msarfert@pasen.gov, (717) 787-6538

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