The Pennsylvania House of Representatives yesterday passed a $13.8 billion spending plan for fiscal 1992.
The plan, which does not address how the revenues will be raised or how large tax increases will be, is slightly higher than Gov. Robert P. Casey's $13.7 billion proposal.
The governor yesterday immediately praised the progress made by the Legislature, but said much needs to be done before the state's final budget can be approved, according to spokesman Vincent Carocci.
"He commended the House leadership and the House Democratic members for taking a very important step in moving this budget process along, and he urged the leadership of the Senate to come to the negotiating table so that we can get a budget passed by mid-June," Mr. Carocci said.
Gov. Casey is using payment deferrals to local school districts and other creditors to help ease the state's 1991 shortfall. He hopes to get a budget passed by the middle of the month to help those districts better gauge their state aid for next year and respond more efficiently to the payment delays, Mr. Carocci said.
Gov. Casey last month raised his $1.7 billion tax increase proposal to $2.6 billion, in response to continued weak revenue collections. That proposal will be taken up later this month, when the Legislature considers the revenue side of the budget equation.
