Budget hearings get underway in Harrisburg today, with pandemic-related differences, of course.
The House Appropriations Committee will start its hearings today, with no members of the public permitted to attend, but the hearings will be available to the public on the websites of both the House Republican and Democrat parties.
This week’s schedule for the House committee includes the Department of Revenue, the Independent Fiscal Office, and the Department of Aging today; the departments of Corrections and State tomorrow; and the Department of Community & Economic Development on Thursday.
State Representative Jim Struzzi is a member of the Appropriations Committee. IN a recent appearance on Indiana In the Morning on WCCS, he said he expects the budget process to be contentious, as usual, this year, especially in light of Governor Tom Wolf’s calls for new taxes and spending.
Struzzi also said it was time to finally address some issues that have been put off in recent years, such as funding the state police – which he says should be by line item – and fixing the State System of Higher Education’s annual budget crisis.
Senator Joe Pittman is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has delayed its budget hearings until March 8th.
