State House Democrats Defeat Attempt to Override Wolf Veto and Restore Human Services Funding

8/25/2015

HARRISBURG – State House Democrats today unanimously shutdown an effort by House Republicans to send support for basic services such as domestic violence and rape crisis centers that are funded by state government. The vote took place during a House Republican attempt to override portions of Gov. Tom Wolf’s historic veto of the entire state spending plan for the 2015-16 fiscal year.     

Members of the York and Adams County House Republican delegations, state Reps. Stan Saylor (R-Windsor), Seth Grove (R-Dover), Kate Klunk (R-Hanover), Dan Moul (R-Gettysburg), Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-Jacobus), Mike Regan (R-Dillsburg) and Will Tallman (R-Abbottstown), issued this statement following Tuesday’s votes:
 
“House Republicans today attempted to provide immediate funding for some of the 274 line items that were agreed to by the state Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf during state budget negotiations. Those lines provide essential services such as funding for rape crisis centers, state grants for college students, cancer screening, domestic violence programs and school student transportation.
 
“In order to override the governor’s June 30 budget veto of these line items, two-thirds of the Legislature would have to agree to the override. EVERY Republican state House member voted in favor of sending support to these service providers. EVERY Democrat voted against the attempt, directly resulting in its failure to receive the required two-thirds majority to pass.
 
“On June 1, EVERY state House member on both sides of the aisle voted against the Wolf tax increases, proving this is not a partisan issue. On June 30, the state Legislature’s balanced, no-tax-increase budget bill was vetoed in its entirety by the governor, who continues to fight for the massive tax expansion and increases that were unanimously defeated June 1.
 
“We have offered an additional $300 million in education funding and tried to support line items which were agreed to by the governor and House Democrats. Today, politics prevailed over governing, leaving schools and human service providers to be Gov. Tom Wolf'’s budget hostages. It is truly a sad day in Pennsylvania.”


Adams-York County House Republican Delegation
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact:  Scott Little
slittle@pahousegop.com