Framework Dead, Time for a No-Tax Hike Spending Plan

Despite legislative action this past weekend, a “framework budget” and a looming vote to raise taxes now appear to be off the table.

The next step must be to pass immediate funding for schools and human services. This gets funding to schools before they shut their doors, and ensures services like domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers remain open to victims.  

No tax increases are needed to fund schools and human services above last year’s spending!

Following that, Gov. Wolf must sign the legislation and release this funding. No more vetoes!

For six months, Gov. Wolf has held up funding, using students and nonprofits as hostages to demand higher taxes on working families. It’s time he ends his game of chicken and put people before partisan politics.

For background, here is a rundown of why the framework collapsed:

• Neither the House nor the Senate has passed, or agreed to, a tax increase.  Moreover, while the “framework” specified no personal income or sales tax rate increases, Gov. Wolf’s latest plan would raise the income tax on working families and small businesses.
• Gov. Wolf threatened to veto the fiscal code.
• Gov. Wolf demanded further cuts to cyber school funding in the education code.
• The liquor privatization bill, which was part of the framework, no longer includes the privatization of liquor sales.
• On Saturday, the House voted down pension reform legislation that was part of the framework. Every member of the House Democratic caucus voted no, and denied pension reform was part of the framework.