A disagreement over an unresolved issue in the Fiscal Code bill has created an obstacle in the final approval of the state budget. The General Assembly passed the $28.05 billion spending plan on Wednesday, June 30, but Governor Ed Rendell said he would not sign it into law until the Legislature passed the Fiscal Code bill and other budget related legislation.
At the center of the dispute is the creation of a new Legislative Fiscal Office. Some want it included in this year’s Fiscal Code bill; others prefer to run it as a separate bill.
Legislative leaders will meet this morning in hope of resolving the dispute.
Governor Rendell has 10 days from passage to sign the budget into law. He has warned he will veto if the Fiscal Code bill is not passed.