Highlights of Pennsylvania's 2019-20 budget package
Highlights of the spending package for Pennsylvania state government's 2019-20 fiscal year starting July 1, as well as the fate of key initiatives proposed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf:
The big picture
Increases spending through the state's main bank account to $34 billion. Including $674 million for cost overruns in the current fiscal year, it authorizes nearly $2 billion in new, higher spending, or 6 percent of this year's enacted budget of $32.7 billion.
Projects a nearly 3 percent increase in tax collections to $35.8 billion, before refunds.
Does not increase tax rates on sales or income, the state's two biggest sources of revenue.
Deposits nearly $300 million into budgetary reserve.
Uses hundreds of millions in transfers and payment delays to veil the true cost of operating state government.
Governor's agenda
Authorizes borrowing $90 million to help Pennsylvania's counties pay for new voting machines in time for the 2020 presidential election.
Does not raise the state minimum wage. Wolf had proposed raising it to $12 an hour on July 1, up from the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour, with incremental increases after that.
Does not impose a per person fee from municipalities that do not have their own full-time police force and instead rely solely upon state police for coverage. Wolf had proposed a sliding-scale fee based on a municipality's population to raise $103 million.
Does not restructure how the state calculates corporate profits to adopt ``combined reporting'' or reduce the corporate net income tax rate. Wolf had proposed both.
Does not impose a tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling to fund a $4.5 billion borrowing program that Wolf had proposed to pay for upgrades to infrastructure and development projects.
Does not authorize the Wolf administration to join a regional consortium that sets a price and caps on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, netting Pennsylvania hundreds of millions of dollars annually.