The House Appropriations Committee began budget hearings with state agencies this week to carefully review the details of the governor’s proposed budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year. Among the agencies to testify were the Department of Environmental Protection, the attorney general’s office, the state court system and the state police. State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan testified there are currently 498 vacancies and at the end of this year more than 1,000 troopers will be eligible to retire. He said the governor’s plan to train 290 new cadets and 90 new civilian dispatchers will help to alleviate complement shortfalls.
Committee members also heard from officials with the Independent Fiscal Office, who testified that revenues will grow by 1 percent for the remainder of the fiscal year. Employment projections were also encouraging, with 69,000 new jobs this year in Pennsylvania and 78,000 new jobs in 2014.
Budget hearings will continue through the first week of March. You can watch the proceedings live at www.pahousegop.com.