Corbett asked to end rumors of link between Pa. liquor privatization, transportation funding

Two legislative leaders are calling on Gov. Tom Corbett to dispel the rumors once and for all that two of his top priorities from the spring are linked as some grand strategy.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa is again asking the administration to announce there is no effort to keep transportation funding hostage in order to pass a liquor privatization bill, or vice versa.

The GOP House Majority Leader agreed that it falls to Corbett to disconnect the two items.

But Bill Patton, spokesman for House Democratic minority, says he’s not sure why some are laying the fault of “linkage” at the governor’s feet.

“Our impression in June, in May and June, was that was mainly driven by the House Republican leaders. We didn’t get a sense that that was a priority of the governor’s office,” Patton said Monday.

In May, House GOP Whip Stan Saylor came the closest of any House Republican to publicly acknowledge a connection between liquor privatization and transportation funding.

He said some members would have difficulty voting for a roads and bridges bill without some guarantee they would get to pass a privatization measure.