Pa. Budget May Miss Thursday Midnight Deadline

Last minute property tax dispute delays Gov. Corbett's signature on budget deal

An 11th-hour disagreement is raising the possibility that Gov. Tom Corbett may not sign a budget bill before the end of Pennsylvania state government's fiscal year at midnight on Thursday.

Corbett's spokesman Kevin Harley said Thursday afternoon that the Republican governor will not sign the budget bill until the Legislature passes a property tax bill.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a $27.2 billion spending plan earlier this week without a single Democratic vote.

But a dispute between the House, Senate and Corbett arose over a bill that would further limit the ability of school boards to raise property taxes.

Senators say a bill poised for a vote in the House would place too many restrictions on a district that needs to build a new school building.

It's been nine years since Pennsylvania's had a budget enacted before the July 1 start of the fiscal year.

On the heels of the budget vote, The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education approved a 7.5 percent tuition increase for students attending the 14 state universities. Undergraduate students will pay $436 more in tuition in the next academic year.

The tuition hike will help fill a $112 million gap in the higher education budget, caused largely by the loss of state and federal funds.

The state universities enroll about 120,000 students.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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