PhillyClout has just learned that the state House of Representatives will not vote on budget relief legislation for the city on Tuesday, as originally planned.
The earliest a vote could now happen is Thursday when the body will be in session, said Johnna A. Pro, a spokeswoman for state Rep. Dwight Evans.
HB 1828 would allow the city to raise the sales tax temporarily and to defer some pension payments, moves worth $700 million over five years. But the state Senate amended the bill to include substantial statewide pension reform, which has prompted massive protest from city and state union leaders. And over the past few days it has become clear that support for the bill has grown shaky in the state House.
Pro said the House will try to address the union concerns and possibly amend the bill. "As much as we want to try to help Philadelphia, the bill is now a bill that affects communities across Pennsylvania. From that perspective we've got to develop some language that is not so anti-union," Pro said.
Nutter said yesterday that if the bill didn't pass the state House without changes on Tuesday, he would implement his Plan C budget, which calls for the layoff of 3,000 city workers, including police and firefighters.
So how will this schedule change affect the city timeline? The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority is set to vote on the Plan C budget on Sept. 11. And if there is no state relief, layoff notices will go out on Sept. 18.
We'll update when we hear from the city.