HARRISBURG - - For the first time in Pennsylvania’s history, the General Assembly passed a state budget with absolutely no public input or debate.  The Republican majority, in express defiance of the governor’s earnest request, rushed to approval at the earliest possible date precisely to avoid interference from their own constituents. In a surprisingly frank admission, the Majority Leader told reporters early passage was vital to lock the public out of the process.

            House Bill 648 passed the Senate by a party-line vote of 27-21 and awaits the governor’s signature.

            Drafted in response to a $2.4 billion deficit, the $21 billion budget for 2003-2004 was merely the first step in the governor’s fiscal plan.  On March 25, he will unveil his Plan for a New Pennsylvania, which calls for historic levels of education funding, property tax reform, and the leveraging of a $5 billion impact for economic development and job creation through the use of $2 billion in bonds.

The budget approved this week includes $1.6 billion in cuts from almost every department and agency, and more than $750 million in increased revenues. These revenue sources  include:

• $330 million from the state's tobacco-settlement fund

• $250 million from the "rainy day" fund

• $90 million from changes in the escheats program

• $13.5 million from increased enforcement of tax collections

• $2.3 million from reductions in the interest paid on tax refunds

• $52.6 million from a slowdown in the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax reduction

• $29.3 million from increases in fees and licenses by.

Some of the spending cuts are:

• $57 million from aid to the 14 state-owned universities four state-related universities

• $77 million from school performance-incentive grants, school-improvement grants and education-support services

• $37.6 million from improvements to library services

• $83 million from support for inpatient services provided under the medical-assistance program and behavioral services in the Department of Public Welfare

• $63.1 million from a safe-water program and from sewage treatment plant operations grants

·        $15.1 million from support to parks and forest management

• $79.5 million from community revitalization and urban development grants

OTHER SENATE ACTION:

-- A bill that would expand the list of aggravating circumstances under which a prosecutor may seek the death penalty passed the Senate this week by a vote of 38-10.  Senate Bill 57 would allow a prosecutor to seek the death penalty in case where the defendant committed first-degree murder in order to collect life insurance proceeds.

Currently, the maximum penalty for such a murder is life imprisonment. Under state law, in order to impose the death penalty, a jury unanimously must find at least one aggravating circumstance and no mitigating circumstances, or that the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances.

The bill now goes to the House.

-- By a 48-1 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 97, which would allow jurors to take notes if the judge approves or if the court contestants agree. The measure would enable jurors to take notes during criminal or civil trials and use the notes during deliberation.

The bill now goes to the House.

-- The Senate voted 47-2 in favor of Senate Bill 153, which would allow 16 and 17 year olds to serve on the board of directors for a nonprofit corporation under certain conditions. The bill now goes to the House.

  -- The Senate unanimously adopted Senate Bill 277, which removes the one-year residency requirement for an applicant of any fire department employment position in third-class cities. The bill now goes to the House.