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Conference committee shifts some capital projects from bonds to cash, trims several allocations
Summary
Senate and House Corrections & Institutions conferees said they favor using cash rather than bonding for some capital projects to reduce future debt service and agreed to reduce or reclassify funding for multiple projects while asking the Joint Fiscal Office for further analysis.
Senator Wendy Harrison, chair of the Senate Corrections & Institutions Committee, told members of a Senate–House conference committee that the Senate is generally supportive of using cash dollars instead of bonds to pay for some capital projects so the state can “reduce the amount of borrowing” and lower debt service costs.
The committee discussed a set of differences between the governor’s recommendation, the House proposal and the Senate response and agreed to several specific changes and reclassifications. Harrison said the Senate requested a report from the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) to review the trade-offs of the bonded‑versus‑cash approach and that the committee intends to continue the conversation when the legislature reconvenes.
Key decisions and discussion points included reducing the FY2027 allocation for a “3‑acre parcel” stormwater‑compliance line item (moved down as the committee sought cash to preserve other items in section 4), cutting a planned $200,000 allocation for Pittsburgh Academy…
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