HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania legislature has passed a spending plan that avoids tax increases and major cuts, and relies on about $1.3 billion in coronavirus relief aid to balance the books. The package approved Friday includes no major surprises — and no bailout for restaurants and other industries that have lobbied for what they say is a desperately needed influx of cash. Republican leaders justified using federal aid money for the budget, rather than for direct assistance, saying it would pay the salaries of state-employed public health and safety workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers in May approved a partial, stopgap budget amid uncertainty about how COVID-19 would impact state finances. The new plan funds the final seven months of the fiscal year, bringing the total operating budget through June 2021 to $36.5 billion — a roughly 4% spending increase compared to the previous year. Gov. Tom Wolf intends to sign the plan. “COVID-19 has left Pennsylvania in a difficult financial situation, and this budget protects against furloughs and deep cuts to critical programs,” Wolf’s spokesperson, Lyndsay Kensinger, said in a statement. “The governor will continue to advocate for federal funding to support recovery efforts at the state and local level, including additional funding for Pennsylvania municipalities and the restaurant industry. We need our federal leaders to step up and provide Americans with the support they desperately need.” House lawmakers voted 104-97 to approve the main budget bill and 108-92 to approve the enabling fiscal code, which provides spending instructions, late Friday.

Ed Mahon, Harrisburg Patriot News

Saturday, November 21, 2020