Butler County legislators decry delay in community college, library funding
The Pennsylvania General Assembly will hold its final session of the year this week, and community colleges and public libraries across the state are still waiting for legislators to pass fiscal codes releasing their funding from the approved 2024 budget.
Butler County library leaders and Butler County Community College president Nick Neupauer said the delay in codifying legislative language means the public agencies could be waiting until at least March to get state money. Community colleges are slated to share about $261 million in state funding, and the Butler County Federated Library System is expecting nearly $709,000 in 2024, according to system manager Krista Conway.
Without the passing of certain fiscal code bills, the designated money cannot be disseminated to community colleges, school voucher programs or libraries, according to the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
Conway said she expects the state money to come late, but eventually, and she would work with the individual library directors if the system as a whole needed to make cuts.
“If we go long enough without it, I would have to talk to the library directors to see what e-resources need to go,” Conway said. “I wouldn’t do anything without talking to them.”
Michelle Lesniak, director of the South Butler Community Library, said the Saxonburg library has reserves that can keep it going in a pinch. She also said the library staff direct programming at the library, and staff will not be affected by a delay in state funding.
“We won't be making any staff cuts,” Lesniak said. “As long as we've got our employees in place, we wouldn't be taking away any programming.”
State Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, said he is surprised the House hasn’t accepted a Senate Bill that includes the necessary fiscal codes, because it received bipartisan support in the Senate.
“The Senate passed a bipartisan bill that would have made no mention of vouchers,” Hutchinson said. “It passed bipartisan, almost every Democrat voted yes, almost every Republican voted for it.”
The House returned to session Sunday, Dec. 10, and the Senate on Monday. Hutchinson said finding a workaround to the House’s impasse would be difficult as a state senator.
“We could send another bill, we could put it back in its previous form,” Hutchinson said. “We could change the language in that bill number.”
State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-8th, said the House has received short-notice alerts to when the fiscal code bill is coming up for vote. He said House Democrats have changed the bill, including the fiscal codes, several times prior to votes sending it back to the Senate.
“It's between the House Democrats and the Senate Republicans,” Bernstine said. “I'm hopeful we’ll vote on it (this week), I don't think that will probably happen.”
State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th, also said she expects fiscal code to be discussed while the assembly is in session this week. She also blamed House Democrats for delaying the funding because of indecision about the bill that includes fiscal code.
“There really has not been any coming to terms and consensus brought from both chambers,” Mustello said. “I just think it's the absence of fiscal responsibility not understanding the importance of this funding.”
Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro’s office, said the governor would be prepared to review fiscal code legislation when it comes to his desk from the General Assembly.
“Right now we're in a place where this is up to the Legislature,” Bonder said. “Candidly, this is a priority for him to get these final pieces of the puzzle across the finish line. Our priority is to get those through legislation as quickly as possible.”
According to Hutchinson, Shapiro has been largely absent from talks regarding the fiscal code language, and he said the governor should “be actively engaged and brokering for the final bill.” Without outside influence, the needed legislation will likely continue to be delayed, ultimately costing more money to community colleges than the 2% raise the budget allocated in the first place.
“I feel terrible money is going to be wasted on paying interest,” Hutchinson said. “We just have to get it done.”
Conway said the Butler County library system disseminates money from the state to the libraries within the system based on a funding formula. The libraries within the system that get state funding are the Butler Area Public Library, Cranberry Township Public Library, Evans City Public Library, Mars Area Public Library, Prospect Community Library, South Butler Community Library and Zelienople Public Library. North Trails Public Library gets some money allocated to the system as a whole, and Slippery Rock Community Library does not receive state aid, Conway said.
