August 16 PA Environment Digest Now Available

August 16 PA Environment Digest now available. Click here to print this Digest.

Rendell Proposes Nearly $4 Million More Cut From DEP, DCNR To Fill Budget Hole

Gov. Rendell told Senate and House legislative leaders this week a $280 million deficit remains in the budget after Congress passed the extra Medicaid funding.
The Governor said he would like to fill the gap with--
-- An across-the-board cut of 1.9 percent in the state budget that would yield $212 million: 1.9 percent cut to "discretionary appropriations," including $50 million to basic education funding; 1.9 percent cut to the General Assembly, Courts and to elected row offices (Auditor General, Attorney General and State Treasurer); and
-- Using $70 million from the proposed Marcellus Shale natural gas production severance tax (Gov. Rendell has never proposed using severance tax revenue to fund any environmental program or even Growing Greener which exhausted its funding this year).
A sheet distributed by the Governor's Office shows DEP would be cut by $2.4 million and DCNR cut by $1.5 million, but no individual line items were noted. Click here to read more...