Debate over the Republican-crafted state budget for next year is set to begin today after party leaders on Tuesday unveiled line-by-line details of their $27.66 billion spending plan.
Those figures showed funding for state universities remaining at current levels, the preservation of a block grant for kindergarten classes, and a deal to maintain grants for college students.
Meanwhile, top lawmakers have yet to reveal final aspects of other items still on their to-do lists, including the ethane tax credit being pushed by Gov. Tom Corbett and proposals to alter teacher evaluations, revise charter-school rules and expand an incentive for businesses that fund private-school scholarships.
House Appropriations Chairman Bill Adolph, R-Delaware, said Tuesday that Republican legislative leaders needed to meet again on those policy issues.
The general spending bill, which outlines specifics of the budget framework agreed to last week, wont receive a final vote until at least Thursday, putting the Legislature on a tight schedule to complete its work by Saturdays midnight deadline.
Under the budget measure awaiting discussion today, the University of Pittsburgh would again receive $136 million in state assistance and the 14 colleges in the State System of Higher Education would be flat-funded.
College grants distributed through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency also would take a hit in state dollars, though the agency will use $75 million in investment earnings in order to maintain that aid
, lawmakers said.
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