State Rep. Dan Truitt (R-156)
While the budget stalemate between Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican state legislature continues, one Chester County legislator is working to keep essential services funded while the political battle goes on in Harrisburg.
State Rep. Dan Truitt (R-156) recently acted to avoid the interruption of key government services that could occur as a result of Gov. Wolf’s recent veto of the legislature’s proposed 2015-16 state budget.
Truitt introduced House Bill 1410, the Temporary Emergency Budget Fund, which would create a mechanism by which the state budget secretary could continue payments to health and human services agencies, school districts and other entities that provide government services until a final budget agreement is reached.
“Though people haven’t yet begun to feel the pain of a state government shutdown, that will change if the budget stalemate continues much longer,” said Truitt. “The state continues to collect tax revenue, but without an enacted budget, the government lacks the authority to distribute those funds. Funding streams for many critical services will soon dry up. An emergency budget fund, like I have proposed, would give the administration the necessary authority to keep state government operational until the governor and General Assembly arrive at a compromise.”
The Truitt proposal would deposit collected state revenues into the Temporary Emergency Budget Fund. The budget secretary would then be able to distribute payments as necessary. Expenditures would be limited, however, to the dollar amounts allocated during the previous year’s budget.
“In many ways, we are operating in uncharted waters,” added Truitt. “This is the first full veto of a state budget since 1976. The governor, in essence, has moved to shut down state government. The effects just haven’t been felt yet. If my legislation passes, government will remain open, and the citizens of our state will continue to access the programs and services for which they continue to pay taxes.”
