Legislature – 7-7-23

Typical twists and turns as the General Assembly wrangles over the FY state budget for 2023 in Harrisburg this week. The Senate amended and passed budget bill HB611 on June 30th   prior to recessing until September 18th and, based upon a promise from Governor Shapiro that he would line-item veto a $100 million appropriation for private school vouchers for students in sub-par public schools, the House approved the spending plan on Wednesday on a vote of 117-86. The budget bill in its current form spends several million dollars less than Governor Shapiro’s proposal and $1.7 billion dollars less than House Democrats wanted. (See related story in Daily Number Section). With the House in session and the Senate in recess, it is unclear what will happen with the myriad code bills which accompany the budget. Stay tuned