Pickett Pleased with Initial House Version of New State Budget
HARRISBURG – Calling it a sustainable, responsible plan, Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) today supported a state budget that does not include new or increased taxes but also invests in the core functions of government.
“Pennsylvania residents fully expect a state budget that meets their needs and does so responsibly, but they’ve also told us that change is needed and we cannot continue down the same path of funding line items just because they’ve always been there,” Pickett said. “While the proposal we passed today may not be the final product that lands on the governor’s desk, it sets the right tone and new direction. We need to be looking at ways to reinvent state government and that includes the way in which we budget and fund our priorities.”
House Bill 218 is the legislative vehicle for the 2017-18 state budget, which spends $31.52 billion, about $815 million less than the governor’s plan. It does not include any new taxes or borrowing but responsibly funds core functions of government, namely education, infrastructure, human services and public safety.
The budget proposal passed today takes into consideration the consolidation of four state agencies that will save on administrative overhead while also better streamlining services; reassignment and elimination of duplicative state functions, such as information technology services; the closure of a problem-plagued state prison in Pittsburgh; and the creation of an endowment fund that will generate money to pay future costs.
“While we continue to look at ways to reinvent state government, we are in need of some additional revenue to address rising expenses, and for the past several months, we have been exploring ways to make up the shortfall,” Pickett added. “But we refuse to pass that burden onto our hard-working taxpayers, families and senior citizens. We need to be creative and that’s why we’re taking this approach before the end of the fiscal year.”
Additional details about the proposal are available at
www.pahousegop.com/statebudget1718.aspx.
Representative Tina Pickett
110th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
(717) 705-2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
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