HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday approved a measure designed to pay the tens of thousands of state employees whose wages have been in limbo since the new fiscal year began five weeks ago without a government budget in place.
The House voted 195-3 to approve a budget bill that Gov. Ed Rendell plans to cut sharply by using his line-item veto authority. Back-pay checks for 77,000 workers could go out within a week.
The measure is an austerity budget that passed the Republican-controlled state Senate three months ago without any support from Democrats and, by all accounts, does not meet the state constitution’s requirement for a balanced budget.
Several lawmakers said Tuesday they were holding their noses in voting for it.
“Every single person in this chamber knows today that this is not a balanced budget,” said Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams. “I have to challenge the constitutionality, although I won’t make a motion because I do believe that the state workers do need to be paid.”
The vote did nothing to resolve the taxes-vs.-cuts ideological battle that has gripped Harrisburg for months, as the economic slowdown has evaporated billions in expected tax revenues and forced difficult decisions on the politically divided General Assembly.