Legislators post Web countdown clocks to ‘help’
Republican members of the House of Representatives from Lancaster County are questioning why House Democrats and Gov. Ed Rendell are stalling so long in making any tangible progress in the state budget process.
“Does time stand still while House Democrats and the governor gerrymander pet programs into the budget and escalate proposed spending, all while the rest of us wait to have any say on the bill at all?” Rep. Katie True (R-East Hempfield) asked. “It’s entirely possible that huge levels of spending could be inserted into this budget bill, then when it’s finally released for review, we’ll be the ones blamed for stalling if we call the spending levels too high.”
For weeks, House Republican leaders have been urging House Democrat Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) to move the state budget bill for the 2008-09 fiscal year forward so that House members could, at the very least, examine language and have the opportunity to offer their own amendments. To date, Evans is holding the bill in the Appropriations Committee, thereby preventing any further legislative action.
All members of the Lancaster Republican House delegation have signified their support of a “discharge resolution,” a legislative petition action, to force the House Appropriations Committee to discharge the bill so it can receive its due consideration by the full House.
True took the next step to assist the House Democrat leadership in knowing the legally mandated deadline is creeping closer with each passing day: posting a countdown clock to midnight on June 30 on her Web site at RepTrue.com. Her Lancaster delegation colleagues joined her and posted it on each of their sites.
Along with True, the Lancaster Republican House delegation consists of Reps. John Bear (R-Lititz), Scott Boyd (R-West Lampeter), Tom Creighton (R-Rapho), Bryan Cutler (R-Peach Bottom), Gordon Denlinger (R-Churchtown), and David Hickernell (R-West Donegal).
Clocks are also ticking online at www.RepBear.com, www.RepBoyd.com, www.RepCreighton.com, www.RepCutler.com, www.RepDenlinger.com, and RepHickernell.com.
Lancaster County Delegation
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Contact: Diane Moore
(717) 772-9844
Caucus Site: www.PAHouseGOP.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE