As the Pennsylvania General Assembly returned to Harrisburg Tuesday to fulfill its Article II, section 4 state constitutional obligation to meet annually at noon on the first Tuesday in January, it did so with fewer faces, one new face, and a call to move beyond the fiscal debates that have weighed down policy progress in Pennsylvania.

For FY 2016-2017, Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget proposal includes an $877,000 line-item to be dedicated to a new office, called the Office for New Pennsylvanians, whose mission is to attract people to Pennsylvania and keep them in an effort to spur economic development.

At a Monday budget hearing before the House Appropriations Committee, the proposal came under scrutiny from some Republican members who were concerned that the office might be a way to encourage illegal immigrants to come to Pennsylvania.

Thursday marked the end of the three-week House Appropriations Committee budget hearing process where committee members and other interested Representatives heard from nearly every facet of state government receiving funding in the coming fiscal year’s budget.

The PLS Reporter caught up with a few of the committee’s member to get their thoughts on the budget hearing process and what they think will happen with Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed budget going forward.

“Generally, it’s a lot of what we expected,” said Rep. Seth Grove (R-York). “Not a lot of answers on specifics, they kept it at ‘it’s a comprehensive plan,’ which kind of triggers ‘we want everything and we’re not willing to negotiate,’ which is very bad moving forward meaning it’s either this or nothing.”

In the end, he said, more questions remain.

Acting DCED Sec. Dennis Davin told members of the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday that the Wolf administration is continuing efforts to attract and finally bring the proposed Shell ethane cracker plant to Beaver County.

“I think part of what we’ve done is look at opportunities to really significantly work with [Shell] going forward,” said Sec. Davin, noting the administration does not yet know when a final decision will be made.

The Independent Fiscal Office reported to the House Appropriations Committee Monday that the structural deficit facing budget crafters might be less than originally thought.

Asked by Chairman Bill Adolph (R-Delaware) about how increased revenues have impacted a previously reported IFO deficit estimate of $1.8 billion, Office director Matthew Knittel reported it has been reduced by $300-$400 million landing somewhere around $1.5 billion.

“We would revise it down to somewhere around $1.5 [billion] or $1.6 [billion],” he told committee members while noting it is difficult to determine the exact number due to supplemental appropriations.