Assembly cash reserve hit record as spending fell last year

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Annual spending by the Pennsylvania Legislature dropped by some $12 million in the year that ended in June, helping lawmakers' cash reserve grow to a record $233 million, auditors reported Monday.

The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission approved the report that showed the Legislature went through nearly $380 million during the 2020-21 fiscal year. That's down from more than $392 million in 2019-20.

The 253-member General Assembly ended the fiscal year with a budgetary reserve that easily surpassed the former high mark of $215 million, reached in 2006. The budget reserve had also grown, by $28 million, during the 2019-20 year.

Leaders have defended the reserve as a way to ensure their operations can continue during some future budget standoff with the governor. The surplus was $95 million in 2016-17.

Spending last year on legislative personnel, by far its largest category, declined by $7.5 million to nearly $321 million. Pennsylvania has one of the country's largest legislative staffs.

The cost of the renovations and preservation for the General Assembly jumped to $2.4 million last year from $391,000 in 2019-20.