Pa. budget deal packs a slew of policy changes and turns on money flow to counties, schools

HARRISBURG — In a Wednesday whirlwind of massive bills, rapid votes and an all-smiles signing ceremony, the state’s elected leaders adopted a $50.1 billion budget for a fiscal year that was already 135 days old.

The flurry of public actions on major issues and big dollar amounts that had been negotiated by leaders in private left lawmakers with a lot on which to reflect. Nearly a million lower-income Pennsylvania residents were expected to benefit from a new tax credit. The state — to both cheers and jeers — had been pulled from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

There were a slew of other significant policy changes. But the sobering backdrop was that schools, counties and human service organizations had been deprived of payments for 135 days; and by tapping billions of dollars in o