The state budget is on its way to Governor Wolf’s desk after being approved by both the house and senate late last week.
The budget doesn’t raise taxes, but does rely on the remaining $1.3 billion of federal coronavirus relief funding to help balance the books.
That means there will be no bailout money to the restaurant industry that had been lobbying for support after being hit hard by the pandemic.
State lawmakers said they’ll be using that money for state-employed public health and safety workers. They’re lobbying the federal government to provide funding to restaurants.
This budget accounts for the next seven months of the fiscal year after a stop-gap budget was passed in May. It adds about a four percent increase in spending compared to last year’s.
The votes were 104-97 in the House and 31-18 in the Senate.
Representatives Marci Mustello (R-11) and Tim Bonner (R-8) voted in favor of the bill. Representatives Daryl Metcalfe (R-12) and Aaron Bernstine (R-10) voted against.
Sen. Joe Pittman (R-41) voted in favor of the bill, while Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-21) voted against it.