Senate, House Republicans Release Proposed FY 2011-12 General Fund Spending Plan

The details of the FY 2011-12 General Fund spending plan were released by Senate and House Republicans this afternoon, with no major surprises.

The overall General Fund spending level is $27.1 billion, representing a 4.1 percent reduction in spending from the FY 2010-11 funding levels and there are not tax increases.

Funding for both the departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources were slight below the proposal made in March by Gov. Corbett: DEP- $4.5 million less and DCNR- $3.1 million less

House Republicans released a budget spreadsheet showing current and planned General Fund spending by major line items. More details will be available later.

Budget Highlights

Environmental Protection

Total General Fund Appropriations: $135.4 million, decrease of $10 million

General Government Operations: $10.7 million, decrease of $2.3 million

Environmental Program Management: $28 million, decrease of $1.4 million

Environmental Protection Operations: $78.1 million, decrease of $1.3 million

Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Source Abatement: $2.7 million, decrease of $76,000

Flood Control Projects: zeroed out, decrease of $3.4 million

Sewage Facilities Planning Grants: $779,000, decrease of $87,000

Sewage Facilities Enforcement Grants: $2.5 million, decrease of $49,000

Conservation Districts: $2.8 million, decrease of $29,000

Conservation & Natural Resources

General Government Operations: $17.1 million, decrease of $1.5 million

Heritage and Other Parks: zeroed out, $350,000

Note: Decreases of $19.1 million in State Parks Operations, and $6.1 million in State Forest Operations were offset by transfers from the Oil and Gas Fund from Marcellus Shale production revenues. Total State General Fund Appropriations: $55.2 million, were 82.4 million.

Agriculture

General Government Operations: $26.4 million, decrease of $472,000
Conservation Districts: $1 million, decrease of $10,000
Nutrient Management Administration: zeroed out, decrease of $300,000

Nutrient Management Fund: $2.74 million, no change

Note: funding for Penn State Extension and other line items were transferred into the Agriculture budget raising the overall General Fund Appropriation from $62.8 million to $133 million

State System Of Higher Education

PA Center for Environmental Education: zeroed out, $368,000

McKeever Environmental Center: zeroed out, $213,000

Community & Economic Development

Land Use Planning & Technical Assistance: zeroed out, decrease of $358,000

Floodplain Management: zeroed out, decrease of $56,000