Fact Sheet
General Fund Spending in Budget Deal
The FY 2011-12 budget deal includes $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, as part of the state’s approximately $64 billion total operating budget. The deal represents a reduction of $3 billion from FY 2010-11—the first reduction in the operating budget in at least 40 years. This budget restores overall spending to pre-stimulus levels and includes no new taxes.
The Budget Maintains Above-inflation Increases in Spending
- The FY 2011-12 budget deal represents a 35.5% increase in General Fund spending (including sales tax revenue shifted to the Public Transportation Trust Fund) since FY 2002-03.
- The budget increases spending over fiscal year 2002-03 by inflation and population growth plus an additional $1.4 billion.
- General Fund spending is $1.1 billion below FY 2010-11, which included more than $2.7 billion in federal stimulus funds.
FY 2011-12 Budget Deal
- General Fund spending is $183 million less than Gov. Tom Corbett’s $27.3 million proposal through shifting funds around.
- The budget bill includes $165 million in spending from the Tobacco Settlement Fund—Gov. Corbett’s proposal included this spending in the General Fund.
- The deal increases the operating budget by about $300 million over Gov. Corbett’s proposal.
- The budget deal also includes “supplemental” appropriations for 2010-11 (including $100 million in the Accountability Grant Program for school districts).
- These supplementals increase 2010-11 General Fund spending by $123 million, to $28.32 billion total.
- Since 2002-03, education spending increased $2 billion (24%)—$2.3 billion increase (33%) in K-12 education, with a $300 million decrease (19%) in higher education.
- Public Welfare increased 62% since 2002-03 and surpassed Education as the department with the largest General Fund budget for FY 2011-12.
- Treasury, which includes interest payments on debt, grew 178% from 2002-03 to 2011-12.
| Pennsylvania General Fund Spending, 2002-03 to 2011-12 | |||||||||
| in thousands of dollars | |||||||||
| 2002-03 to 2011-12 | |||||||||
| Department | 2002-03 | 2010-11 (Available) | 2011-12 (Enacted) | Change in % | Change in $ | ||||
| Governor’s Office | $8,034 | $6,400 | $6,166 | -23.25% | ($1,868) | ||||
| Executive Offices | $327,197 | $170,249 | $162,753 | -50.26% | ($164,444) | ||||
| Lt. Governor’s Office | $927 | $995 | $1,345 | 45.09% | $418 | ||||
| Attorney General | $75,058 | $83,007 | $81,392 | 8.44% | $6,334 | ||||
| Auditor General | $47,634 | $46,245 | $44,624 | -6.32% | ($3,010) | ||||
| Treasury | $393,100 | $1,023,234 | $1,093,019 | 178.05% | $699,919 | ||||
| Agriculture | $74,205 | $62,897 | $133,096 | 79.36% | $58,891 | ||||
| Community & Economic Development | $396,498 | $327,462 | $212,823 | -46.32% | ($183,675) | ||||
| Conservation & Natural Resources | $105,503 | $82,480 | $55,288 | -47.60% | ($50,215) | ||||
| Corrections* | $1,247,059 | $1,867,230 | $1,867,022 | 49.71% | $619,963 | ||||
| Education* | $8,509,157 | $11,643,723 | $10,531,318 | 23.76% | $2,022,161 | ||||
| Higher Ed* | $1,473,769 | $1,524,248 | $1,198,369 | -18.69% | ($275,400) | ||||
| K-12 Education & Support * | $7,035,388 | $10,119,475 | $9,332,949 | 32.66% | $2,297,561 | ||||
| Environmental Protection | $241,835 | $145,486 | $135,426 | -44.00% | ($106,409) | ||||
| General Services | $112,464 | $120,282 | $119,123 | 5.92% | $6,659 | ||||
| Health | $252,509 | $232,593 | $224,210 | -11.21% | ($28,299) | ||||
| Higher Education Assistance Agency | $412,838 | $438,739 | $422,950 | 2.45% | $10,112 | ||||
| Historical & Museum Commission | $32,801 | $18,467 | $17,525 | -46.57% | ($15,276) | ||||
| Insurance | $57,219 | $121,880 | $120,674 | 110.90% | $63,455 | ||||
| Labor & Industry | $107,066 | $86,200 | $71,752 | -32.98% | ($35,314) | ||||
| Military & Veterans Affairs | $100,992 | $110,334 | $128,681 | 27.42% | $27,689 | ||||
| Probation & Parole Board | $99,369 | $120,578 | $126,835 | 27.64% | $27,466 | ||||
| Public Welfare* | $6,529,896 | $10,615,102 | $10,560,548 | 61.73% | $4,030,652 | ||||
| Revenue | $210,488 | $189,731 | $193,304 | -8.16% | ($17,184) | ||||
| State | $6,744 | $8,496 | $10,126 | 50.15% | $3,382 | ||||
| State Police | $169,830 | $175,568 | $186,728 | 9.95% | $16,898 | ||||
| Transportation** | $315,383 | $389,123 | $400,810 | 27.09% | $85,427 | ||||
| Legislature | $258,100 | $288,263 | $272,784 | 5.69% | $14,684 | ||||
| Judiciary | $235,012 | $276,860 | $298,860 | 27.17% | $63,848 | ||||
| TOTAL | $20,320,174 | $28,321,256 | $27,148,585 | 33.60% | $6,828,411 | ||||
| Total with Sales Tax to Mass Transit | $20,320,174 | $28,708,192 | $27,541,441 | 35.54% | $7,221,267 | ||||
| SOURCES: Governor’s Executive Budget, FY 2004-05; FY 2011-12 | |||||||||
| * Includes federal stimulus funds in 2010-11 totals | |||||||||
| ** Includes almost $400 million shifted from transportation to mass transit fund. | |||||||||
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For More information on the Pennsylvania State Budget, visit CommonwealthFoundation.org/Budget.