UPDATE: Democratic Governor Ed Rendell and Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati contrast solutions to the Pennsylvania State Budget Crisis 2010

On Pennsylvania’s public television stations Wednesday, June 24 at 9 p.m. Harrisburg — The Commonwealth’s FY10 budget is dominating public discussion in every part of Pennsylvania because residents are deeply concerned about the state’s fiscal crisis and its impact on individuals, families and businesses. Pennsylvania’s public stations are doing their part to bring critical information to light. WITF and its seven public television colleagues statewide will produce and broadcast a commercial-free, hour-long program on the FY10 Pennsylvania state budget. The program featuring Governor Ed Rendell and Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati entitled Inside the Budget Battle, will air on Wednesday, June 24 at 9 p.m. Hosted by WITF-TV’s Smart Talk host, Nell McCormack Abom, Inside the Budget Battle provides a statewide platform for both Rendell and Scarnati to offer their unique insights into one of the most contested budget proposals in decades and presents the most extensive, broadly available opportunity this budget season for Pennsylvania’s residents to hear from key budget decision-makers on the options facing them. The state has a $3.2 billion budget deficit for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. Gov. Rendell has ordered a series of budget cuts and this week called for a 16.5% personal income tax increase. The Republican-controlled State Senate passed its version of a spending plan last month. The Senate proposal doesn’t include a tax hike but does utilize numerous cuts to programs that the Governor has criticized as going too far. WITF’s President and CEO, Kathleen Pavelko said “This program highlights the unique capability of Pennsylvania’s public television stations at a critical moment for the Commonwealth. It is ironic that this is also the budget year in which Pennsylvania’s public television stations are threatened with the total elimination of state funding, for the first time in the 40-year history of public television in Pennsylvania.” Pennsylvania’s public television stations include WITF/Harrisburg, WLVT/Allentown, WQLN/Erie, WHYY/ Philadelphia, WYBE/ Philadelphia, WQED/ Pittsburgh, WVIA/ Scranton, and WPSU/ State College.