For the final time as governor, Tom Wolf delivered his budget address.
So why not swing for the fences?
Wolf delivered a $43.7 billion spending proposal for the fiscal year that projects a surplus of $6.4 billion.
“These are days of opportunity for our commonwealth,” said Wolf. “That’s because, at long last, our fiscal house is in order. Over the past seven years, we’ve turned a $2-3 billion structural budget deficit into a $2-3 billion budget surplus. We’ve built our Rainy Day Fund to more than $2.8 billion—more than 12,000 times what it was when I took office.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, a GOP candidate for governor, described the proposal as being drafted in a “fantasy land.”
“This budget gives us the opportunity to make the critical investments that Pennsylvania needs in our schools, communities, and workforce. Now is the time to put this money into the programs that fund the future of this commonwealth,” said Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes said.
State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, said the governor’s budget proposal, which represents an overall spending increase of $4.5 billion, would end up hurting Pennsylvanians financially in the future.
Highlights include:
Early Education
- $60 million increase for Pre-K counts
- $10 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
K-12 Schools
- “Generational” investment of $1.75 billion in schools
Higher Education
- $200 million for Nellie Bly Tuition Program for students attending a PA State System university or community college.
- Additional investment of $125 million for institutions
Workers and Businesses
- Increasing minimum wage to $12 per hour on July 1, 2022 with annual $0.50 increased until reaching $15 in 2028
- Reducing corporate tax rate from 9.99 percent with desire to show path to 4.99%
- $30 million in funding for two new child care options for state employees
- $8 million for job training
Public Safety
- $35 million in grants and technical assistance to support community-led gun violence prevention efforts.
- $141 million increase to support Pennsylvania State Police
Loading ...
2 Responses
We need more investment in our community colleges. Gov Wolf could attempt to do something that was blocked in the U S Senate which is student loan free community college education. This would help everyone from low income families to anyone who wants to go to a community college. Our higher ed system in the US is not working in that its burying people in debt and we want students leaving higher ed with as little debt as possible and buying cars and homes which helps the economy.
Governor Wolf wants to spend money to actually help Pennsylvanians and Republicans just complain because they have no real ideas on their own. PA house and senate republicans are so pathetic.