133rd district

State Rep. Daniel McNeill, D-133rd, recently reintroduced a bill that would suspend pay for members of the General Assembly and administration officials if a budget is not passed on a timely basis.

The state’s fiscal year ended June 30, and passing the state budget is necessary to extend state spending authority into the new fiscal year that started July 1. The budget is still not completed more than five months later.

“Responsible negotiation and the passing of a budget is something the citizens of the commonwealth count on us for,” McNeill said. “As legislators and members of the executive branch, it is our basic fiduciary duty and a core function of state government to carry out this obligation.

“In order to move the budget process forward to timely completion, my bill would incentivize all involved by removing any pay or per diem after the deadline until a budget is passed,” McNeill said.

McNeill first introduced his bill June 17, 2015, but he was only able to get two cosponsors, so he pulled the bill. He said that since the budget has dragged into a new year and forced school districts and human services agencies to borrow money to just stay open, he is hopeful more members will be willing to sign on to the bill to prevent a similar impasse in the future.

McNeill said the pay suspension would impact senators and representatives, the governor, the lieutenant governor and the governor’s cabinet officers but would not include staff. Pay and per-diems would be reimbursed upon the passing of a budget.

“Games and posturing force the citizens of Pennsylvania to view us as ineffective and as not taking our responsibilities seriously,” McNeill added. “We should start the process early in the year, engage in actual negotiations and compromise to get the budget done on time.”