Senate Republican Barebones Legislation Marks Budget Debate Boundaries

No doubt, today and tomorrow, you will hear lots of news about a state budget proposal for Fiscal Year
2009-10 that is expected to pass easily this week in the Pennsylvania State Senate. It is an effort in a
very bad economy to construct a state budget that avoids all tax increases and balances the budget
exclusively on cuts to future state programs.

This proposal, Senate Bill 850, was created by the Republican members of the State Senate and, given
their 30-20 majority in the chamber, the bill is expected to pass this week. The bill would then be sent
to the State House of Representatives. This is an unusual turn of the budget process. Normally, state
budgets begin in the House and work their way to the Senate, not the other way around. Despite S.B.
850’s likely passage in the Senate this week, House Democrats will soon debate and pass their own
version and send it over to the Senate.

Before I delve into the back story here, some details of S.B. 850 are in order. Overall, S.B. 850 calls for
spending next year of about $27.3 billion which is lower than the current spending of $27.7 billion. The
budget that Governor Rendell proposed back in February called for spending $28.9 billion next year.
Both the Governor’s proposal and S.B. 850 rely on $2.7 billion in federal stimulus funding to achieve
balance.

Library programs under S.B. 850 are hit hard. The Public Library Subsidy would be cut 50% to $37
million. The Library Access line (POWER Library, statewide borrowing, interlibrary delivery) would cease
operations as this year’s $7 million appropriation would drop to zero. The Electronic Library Catalog
(Ask Here PA, Access PA database) would have only $1.7 million next year compared to this year’s total
of $3.7 million. Funding for the State Library (50% cut to $2.4 million) and Library Services for the
Visually Impaired and Disabled (2% cut to $2.9 million) are the same in both the Governor‘s proposal
and the Senate Republican bill.

Cuts of this magnitude would be devastating, of course. And in a budget that relies on cuts alone, many,
many programs are hit hard. The Department of Community and Economic Development would be cut
by 52% under S.B. 850. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources would lose 17%. State
spending in the Department of Education would drop by more than a half billion dollars (over and above
the library cuts.) The Health Department would shrink by 10%; Labor and Industry by 20%; and Public
Welfare by $300 million. Even expenditures in the State Senate and State House are targeted for 10%
reductions.

It’s easy to get lost in a blizzard of numbers at a time like this. But here’s what you need to know:

1. S.B. 850 is a proposal, not the final word. In it, Senate Republicans establish one budget outline
that balances the budget on cuts alone with no tax increases at all (not even some of the “sin”
taxes that many expect to pass.)
2. The House of Representatives, controlled by the Democrats, is expected to pass their version of
a state budget in the next few weeks. Not surprisingly, this version should look very much like
Governor Rendell’s proposal.
3. Now is NOT the time to throw in the towel. Instead, now is the time to keep speaking up again
and again to urge everyone who uses our libraries or cares at all about libraries to add their
voices to support level funding for library services next year.

Again, PaLA’s two-pronged message is short and to the point:

1. Demand for library services is up dramatically during this recession. Libraries all across
Pennsylvania are busier than ever before serving people looking for work, families on tight
budgets, and retirees grappling with shrinking savings. Budget cuts will reduce library services
for the very people who need libraries the most.
2. Governor Rendell’s proposed budget reducing library funding will cost Pennsylvania nearly a
million dollars in lost federal money. Likewise, cuts to library services under S.B. 850 would
cost Pennsylvania many more millions of dollars in lost federal funds. (PaLA will post a specific
projection on the website as soon as we have it.)

This is the message. It is still relevant and represents the most powerful arguments at our disposal in an
economy this bad. We should not shy away from it but, instead, press harder.

It is true that the projected shortfall between revenue and expenses in the state budget for next year
ranges between $2.6 and $3.0 billion dollars. Make no mistake about it. This is not an easy problem to
solve. Governor Rendell and House Democrats will pass and push for their solution to balance next
year’s budget. Through S.B. 850, Senate Republicans will pass and advocate for their plan to balance the
next budget.

In essence, these two versions are the boundaries as the budget process enters a serious period of
discussion and debate.

No better time than right now to contact every State Senator, State Representative, and the Governor
with our message that libraries provide vital services to thousands in need of work, and that
Pennsylvania should secure every last nickel of federal funding and not leave millions of federal library
dollars on the table.

Let’s keep up the pressure. I expect that we’ll be posting more information on our website
(www.palibraries.org) about this as the week unfolds.

As always, I am grateful for your passion and your persistence on behalf of libraries.

Glenn

Glenn R. Miller
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Library Association
220 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 10
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055
phone: 717-766-7663
fax: 717-766-5440
e-mail: glenn@palibraries.org