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PA House Sends Senate GOP Budget

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The state House Saturday sent the Senate a Republican budget that Democratic Governor Tom Wolf says he will veto in whole or in part.

The state House voted along mostly party lines for the new budget that Joe Markosek, ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, says does not reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor and other members of his party.

"It does not reflect any sort of compromise," said Marksoek, "which is what we do here at budget time."

Republican Dave Reed, the House majority leader, says instead of vetoing the entire budget, the governor can use his line-item veto to make the budget a placeholder until a broader agreement is reached.

"He can very easily choose a couple of lines to veto and continue the discussion forward." said Reed. "He can very easily choose not to interrupt the lives of everyday citizens."

House Democrats, like Curtis Thomas of Philadelphia, complained bitterly that the budget does not reflect their priorities and is loaded with gimmicks to make the numbers work.

"Do not use voodoo numbers to try and make sure that we have a budget."

But Republicans like Kate Harper of Montgomery County says there is no clamor among their constituents for the governor's proposals.

"I didn't get a single call asking me to raise people's taxes." said Harper.

Governor Wolf said Friday he would aim for as little disruption as possible but his spokesman said again on Saturday there will be no decision on a full versus partial veto until a budget is on the governor's desk.

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