House Passes FY 2011-12 Budget

Hello All:

Last evening the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 109-92 (on
almost totally partisan lines) to pass a state budget that sets
spending at $27.3 billion for the 2011-12 fiscal year, the same amount
as in Governor Corbett’s budget proposal.

House Bill 1485 cuts $1 billion from public schools and reduces Governor
Corbett’s DPW budget by $471 million for health and human services for
children, women and people with disabilities. The House approved budget
does not raise taxes nor does it enact an extraction tax on natural gas.
The House budget plan leaves untouched a $500 million state revenue
surplus.

Rep Dom Costa (D-21st Legislative District, Allegheny) posts on his
website today that "It doesn't have to be this way. We have a $500
million surplus that we could be investing in Pennsylvanians. Instead,
it's being stashed out of the reach of the people who need it now for a
"rainy day" sometime in the future."

The House approved Budget plan now moves to the PA Senate, where
Republicans are more open to spending the state's $500 million estimated
surplus.

For HB 1485 text, history and record of the vote go to:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2011&sind=0&body=H&type=B&BN=1485

Southwestern PA House members who voted YES on the budget bill were
Christiana, Maher, Marshall, Mustio, Reed, Turzai, and Vulokovich.
Members who voted NO included Burns, Costa, D., Costa. P, Deasy, DeLuca,
Dermody , Frankel, Gergely, Kortz, Kotik, Markosek, Preston, Ravenstahl,
Readshaw, Wagner, Wheatley, and White.


CALL TO ACTION: Go to www.namiswpa.org and click on Legislative Affairs
for more details and legislators' contact information.


Please email or call the offices of House members who voted YES on the
House budget plan to let them know these cuts may have a devestaing
effect on Pennsylvanians that rely on health and human services funded
through DPW. It is also most important to thank those who voted NO on
the bill.

Take further action now by encouraging House and Senate leaders and Gov.
Tom Corbett to craft a responsible budget that does not leave you out in
the rain. Also contact your state senator to schedule a meeting in their
district office and ask them to urge Senate leadership to encourage
reinvestment in Pennsylvanians by responsible utilization of the $500
million surplus.

Share with state lawmakers that you disagree with lockboxing the surplus
for some unknown "rainy day" in the future.
Remind them it's raining now!

Thanks to each of you for your collective efforts to improve the lives
of individuals and families effected by mental illnesses!