{"id":30432,"date":"2016-06-29T11:00:33","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T15:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=30432"},"modified":"2016-06-30T12:35:16","modified_gmt":"2016-06-30T16:35:16","slug":"local-legislators-back-bipartisan-state-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=30432","title":{"rendered":"Local legislators back bipartisan state budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senate, Gov. must OK $31.55 billion state spending plan<\/em><\/h2>\n

By Mike McGann<\/strong>, Editor, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"CapitolHarrisburg\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Correction:<\/strong> Adds Rep. Truitt’s vote.<\/em><\/p>\n

It appears last year\u2019s long, drawn out state budget process may be shorter \u2014 based on the bipartisan passage of a new $31.55 billion budget by the state House of Representatives, Tuesday, 132-68.<\/span><\/p>\n

The budget was supported by seven Chester County State Representatives \u2014 State Rep. John Lawrence (R-13) and State Rep. Dan Truitt (R-156) were \u00a0\u201cno\u201d votes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The budget still has to get the approval of the state Senate and the signature of Gov. Tom Wolf, but it signals hope that the budget might be finalized by the end of the July, just a month past the state deadline. The current year\u2019s budget was stalled until March of this year \u2014 as Wolf and the legislature could not agree on proposed tax increases and education spending.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wolf, for his part, seemed wary but willing to work with the legislature, but cited his three priorities in a video message, Tuesday: school funding, the opioid crisis and balancing the budget.<\/span><\/p>\n