Gov. Shapiro blames GOP for budget standoff as top Senate Republican fires back

[FakeNoose]

Caption: Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, right, with Gov. Josh Shapiro during his first budget address in Harrisburg. Photo: (AP)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette link: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/07/06/josh-shapiro-pennsylvania-budget-senate-republicans-school-vouchers/stories/202307060125

HARRISBURG — A day after Republicans accused Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of betraying their trust in negotiations toward an overdue state budget, Mr. Shapiro on Thursday pinned the blame for the still-unfinished process squarely on Senate Republicans.

“Senate Republicans did not close the deal with their House counterparts,” Mr. Shapiro said at a news conference in the Capitol, dissecting a budget negotiation process that typically involves the governor’s office and the majority party from each chamber of the Legislature.

Hours later, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, accused Mr. Shapiro of painting a misleading picture. “The truth is there was a deal regardless of what Gov. Shapiro says publicly and he knows there was a deal,” she said in a statement.

Republicans control the Senate by a 28-22 margin and Democrats control the House 102-101. Mr. Shapiro’s appearance — his first news conference since budget negotiations ramped up — came a day after Republicans’ generally favorable views of his five-month-old governorship were shattered. The cause they cited was Mr. Shapiro’s announcement Wednesday he would line-item veto a $100 million appropriation in a fiscal 2024 spending bill passed by the Senate and sent to the House.

- more at link -

We know the Governor got some pushback from the House Dems and it's mostly over the school vouchers. Former Governor Tom Wolf spent most of his 8 years horse trading with (or losing to) the Repukes. Come on Governor, it's time to show them who's the boss.

[Deminpenn]

1. The Dem-controlled House passed the budget with votes to spare

meaning it got R votes, too.

Kim Ward and company had to know the voucher plan (scholarships) wouldn't pass the House despite Shapiro's openness to it.

PA has a budget, but the state Senate needs to return to session to sign it (presumably the House already has signed the bill). They apparently are throwing a hissy fit and might not return until September. The Rs also might drag their feet on passing the enabling legislation for some of the programs like the new Whole Home Repair program, but it's not like there aren't homowners in small towns all over R districts who wouldn't be helped by it.

That was a pretty cleaver manuever by Shapiro to pull out his line item veto authority.

[FakeNoose]

2. Awesome

... however it won't be so easy the next time. They won't be so trusting on the next "deal."

[Deminpenn]

3. Rs are already saying they won't "trust" Shapiro

again. They're likely to drag out the necessary code bills, but they also risk backlash because even voters in R districts need the help the budget provides. Except for not getting the vouchers, the Rs presumably liked everything else they negotiated with Shapiro.

[Deminpenn]

4. Rs are still in the midst of their hissy fit, not planning to return

to session to sign the budget bill.