Governor Ed Rendell will release his proposed state budget for 2010-11 on Tuesday, February 9 at 11:30 a.m. The new spending plan has been crafted in the midst of a continuing recession, a growing current year budget deficit, and higher demand for basic services.

Look to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center for ongoing information and strategy around the state budget:

• See our news release which puts the state budget in perspective and frames the choices facing state lawmakers;
• View a PowerPoint presentation on funding essential services in Pennsylvania; and
• On Tuesday, February 9, go to http://www.pennbpc.org/state-budget-2010-11 to access a detailed analysis of the proposed 2010-11 state budget.

Join Pennsylvanians working together for a budget that meets the growing demand for services, is resolved on time, and contains sufficient revenue to be sustainable over time.

January Collections Bring Revenue Deficit to $374 Million

January marked a significant shortfall in General Fund revenue collections for the Commonwealth, bringing the 2009-10 fiscal year-to-date deficit to $374 million and raising doubt about Rendell Administration targets for the remainder of the year.

January collections, which were announced on Monday, fell short of estimate by $120 million, with 85% of the shortfall due to lower-than-expected collections from the state's two largest tax streams - the personal income tax and the sales tax. Only "sin taxes" on tobacco, liquor, and beer exceeded monthly estimates.

Read PBPC's full analysis of the January revenue collections.

Resources Available on Economy, Federal Recovery Act

On January 15, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, the Keystone Research Center, PA Works! and our partners sponsored a conference in Harrisburg examining how the federal Economic Recovery Act has been implemented in Pennsylvania and the impact those investments are having on the Pennsylvania economy. If you missed the conference, we've got you covered. Check out our conference web page, which includes conference materials, an overview of the conference and workshop sessions, PowerPoint presentations, video clips and more.

PBPC also has launched a new web site feature titled Economy Watch, which tracks key economic indicators like Pennsylvania jobs and unemployment and how those figures compare to past recessions. You can also link to several other resources from the Economy Watch page, including pages discussing poverty and uninsured rates in Pennsylvania, growth in enrollment for public safety net programs and more.