Governor offers familiar ideas in new budget

With Gov. Tom Wolf in his sixth year at Pennsylvania’s helm, we’ve come to know what to expect from his annual budget addresses.

There will be some ideas that could gain some traction in the Republican-controlled House and Senate, such as increased spending for public schools and more funding for workforce training. There will be others that Wolf keeps trotting out despite strong GOP opposition, such as a severance tax on natural gas drillers to finance infrastructure improvements.

And Pennsylvania residents can rest assured that the budget that finally wins approval will look considerably different from the $36 billion spending plan Wolf proposed.

The good news is that we’re a long way from the friction that went along with the budget process in Wolf’s early years in office. While we weren’t necessarily thrilled with the budgets of the last few years, it was a relief to see them enacted on time. The budget standoffs of the past were bad for all concerned, especially the state’s taxpayers.

While it would be a stretch to say our divided government in Harrisburg operates in perfect harmony, the ability of Wolf and Republican legislative leaders to work together is impressive, especially when one considers that Pennsylvania is a deeply divided state in a deeply divided nation. The governor was right to begin his budget address by celebrating bipartisan achievements. How much bipartisan support his latest proposals will get remains to be seen.

Once again, education is a major focus for Wolf. He’s calling for an additional $100 million for public school funding along with an extra $25 million for special education, $30 million for early childhood education, $25 million for Pre-K Counts and $5 million for the Head Start Supplemental program.

The governor also is proposing expanding full-time kindergarten to every student, an expansion funded through badly needed charter school reform. And he’s calling for additional state-funded tuition assistance and scholarships for college students.

These investments in Pennsylvania’s future are very much in order and deserve serious consideration.

One problem with Wolf’s proposal overall, however, is that it’s calling for increased spending even as it holds income and sales taxes at the same rate. House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler was right to point out that the current budget is overdrawn by more than $500 million, leading one to wonder how the state can afford additional spending in the coming year.

As is typical in Harrisburg, the governor is looking for ways to raise revenue that don’t amount to a “tax increase” that will scare away lawmakers. This budget relies in part on assessing targeted fees through municipalities.

Most notable among these is the latest version of Wolf’s admirable, long-standing effort to reduce the amount of money being diverted from road projects to fund the state police. This time around he’s proposing a weighted fee for state police protection, assessed to municipalities on a per-capita basis. The size of the fee will vary depending on station coverage costs, population and average income, and whether the municipality offers police coverage of its own.

We’re not enthusiastic about this proposal. While it’s true that every community relies on state police to at least some extent, approaching the issue in this manner reinforces the idea that the state is avoiding responsibility for its own spending by shifting the tax burden to municipalities.

One of the reasons state police costs are so high is that so many municipalities are opting for “free” coverage from troopers rather than hiring their own police or joining forces with a neighboring community.

We’d prefer a policy that establishes a clear incentive for municipalities to provide their own police protection instead of relying on state police. A fee on all municipalities could discourage them from doing so.

Of course this analysis only scratches the surface of Wolf’s extensive budget proposal. There’s a lot for lawmakers to consider. At this point all we ask is that both sides keep an open mind and work in a spirit of compromise. In this tumultuous year, it’s crucial that Pennsylvania continue to prove that a divided government can function.