So, the Daily News scribes have been spending the day figuring out what Philly got out of the $27.37 billion budget deal and related political games. Here's what we've gathered so far...
The big news: SEPTA, obviously, got its dedicated funding. The Associated Press quoted Rendell as saying new spending on highways and mass transit will average a total of $946 million a year over the next decade. That will be funded by a 25 percent toll hike on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 2009 and by tolls added to Interstate 80.
SEPTA is very happy with its portion of that large pie, telling the Daily News: “We believe that what the governor and legislative leaders announced will take us out of the crisis mode we’ve been in for years and give us a workable operating budget for the next five, six years. We feel comfortable that the numbers are going to be there, the income is going to be there, so we can plan for the future and operate the system without having to frighten the public with the possibility of draconian fare hikes and service cuts.”
But there were lots of other little plums in the budget deal for Philly.
The needed legislation to allow for slots revenue to fund the state's portion of the Convention Center expansion was agreed upon.
There's a new tax credit for filming movies in Philly.
There's money to provide laptops for schoolchildren and additional early childhood education, both of which will help ease the School District's burdens a bit.
The campaign finance legislation (what our fellow blogger Josh Cornfield has called the "Sabatina Senior Citizen Treasurers Protection Act") will wait for the Senate in the fall, when there's likely to be hearings and a much better debate than has occurred so far.
Meanwhile, Philly's smoking ban is still in the air...there could be a statewide ban passed, though our reporters say it seems more likely Philadelphia's stronger ban will remain in place here.
Finally, Eagles fans: A little-known and widely ignored state cap on how much resellers can charge for tickets online was eliminated.
As to the problematic energy bill: The AP reports that Rendell said the Legislature will convene a special session Sept. 17 to address state energy policy, including assembling a $750 million fund for alternative energy and conservation efforts.