During the gubernatorial election campaign in 2010, Democracy Rising and Rock the Capital asked candidate Tom Corbett about the legislature’s surplus:
“Do you believe the legislature, unlike executive and judicial agencies with rare exceptions, should be able to carry funds forward that were not expended in the year for which they were appropriated? Please explain.”
Mr. Corbett’s answer:
“As I stated in my government reform initiative, the General Assembly should not be able to accrue a surplus that, as of late, is over $200 million. While a reasonable operating budget can be maintained to protect the legislature from undue influence from the executive branch, I will work with the General Assembly to cap the legislative accounts at a fraction of its current level. The current legislative surplus should be used to help relieve the pressure created for Pennsylvania taxpayers by the increasing spending in Harrisburg.”
Please refer to Part 3 for Candidate Corbett’s position on legislative surpluses.
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