House Passes General Fund Budget, Senate Action Expected

The House voted 120 to 81 to approve Senate Bill 1466 (Corman-R-Centre), the FY 2012-13 General Fund budget which contains overall spending of $27,656,381, an increase of $470,728,000 over FY 2011-12.  The Senate is expected to concur in the budget bill Friday (updated).
The House-passed budget restores cuts to environmental programs proposed by Gov. Corbett-- $38 million for the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund, $20 million for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program and $6 million for the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Fund.
Other highlights include:
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
-- $2.5 million less overall than FY 2011-12, most personnel line items, same as Governor’s request
Department of Environmental Protection
-- $11.8 million less overall than FY 2011-12 ($6.6 million in personnel line items) more than Governor’s proposed cuts of $10.5 million
-- Sewage Facilities Planning and Enforcement Grants zeroed out
-- $29,000 less for County Conservation Districts
Department of Agriculture
-- $3.5 million less overall than FY 2011-12, restoration of funding cuts proposed by Governor
-- $245,000 cut to General Government Operations
-- $10,000 less transferred to County Conservation Districts than FY 2011-12
-- $27,000 less transferred to Nutrient Management Fund
-- No transfer from the Race Horse Development Fund
Commonwealth Financing Authority
-- $3.5 million more totalling $85.5 million
State System of Higher Education
-- PA Center for Environmental Education - zeroed out again ($368,000)
-- McKeever Environmental Center - zeroed out again ($213,000)
Click Here for a House Republican summary of the budget.  Click Here for a House Democratic summary.  Click Here for a line by line budget spreadsheet.