State Treasurer says checks are in the mail

The checks are in the mail. That’s the word from the State Treasurer to the thousands of Pennsylvania vendors who have not been paid since the start of the state budget impasse in July.

The checks are in the mail. That’s the word from the State Treasurer to the thousands of Pennsylvania vendors who have not been paid since the start of the state budget impasse in July. The treasurer’s office says overdue bills total almost $3 billion dollars.

Listen:
[audio: 091013spbudget.mp3]

When we last heard from daycare provider Nicole Regalbuto, she was holding beef and beer fundraisers to keep the center open. Workers who hadn’t been paid in months were pooling resources to buy food.

But when the budget impasse ended Friday she was relieved.

Regalbuto: My grandmother called my phone and said Rendell signed the budget, and checks are going out next week, I called my mom, I called everyone I knew, I sent text messages out and we were all screaming saying we have to go out and party. Did you go out? Not yet, we want to make sure we get our money.

Regalbuto says she’s expecting a check for more than $250,000 dollars. State Treasurer Rob McCord says his office expedited vendors like Regalbuto, along with other public welfare payments, education programs, and veteran services.