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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | July 24, 2017 12:22 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Kevin J. Boyle |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Constitutional Amendment Requiring the Legislature to Stay Continuously in Voting Session during a Budget Impasse |
In the near future, I will be re-introducing an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution requiring the General Assembly to stay in session until a state budget is adopted by both chambers and signed into law by the Governor. As Pennsylvania’s current budget impasse is approaching one month, we have seen breaks in the voting schedule by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. We are only one year removed from the historical 2015-2016 budget stalemate that lasted nearly nine months from July 2015 to March 2016. It appears the General Assembly hasn’t learned its lesson. As legislators, we owe it to our constituents to conduct the peoples’ business without needless delays and to concentrate on passing a responsible, complete, and balanced budget for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians. In order for this legislation to be added to the text of the state Constitution, the bill must be voted and passed in two consecutive legislative sessions. It would then go to the citizens of the Commonwealth for a ballot question. We have all heard concerns from our constituents in our respective districts related to the budget stalemate. A ballot question will equip our constituents with the chance to express what they want from their legislature. This bill was introduced in the 2015-2016 session as House Bill 2191 and was co-sponsored by Representatives Thomas, V. Brown, Rozzi, Sturla, Caltagirone, Davis, Gergely, Murt, Longietti, Schweyer, Neilson, D. Costa, DeLuca, Bradford, and Kinsey. Please join me in supporting this important piece of legislation that ensures the General Assembly gets back on the track of fulfilling this most basic of legislative functions. |