Though we have the most liberal governor in the nation, the PA House Republican majority has still produced several remarkable accomplishments for the people of Pennsylvania in the 2017-18 legislative session.
Just a few highlights include:
- Eliminating a more than $2 billion deficit WITHOUT raising income or sales taxes.
- Investing in the state’s Rainy Day Fund for the first time in a decade.
- Boosting school safety.
- Restructuring the public pension system.
- Authorizing wine and beer sales in grocery and convenience stores.
- Reforming the Unemployment Compensation system.
- Enacting a permanent and predictable Basic Education Funding formula.
- Protecting our best teachers.
- Reducing state debt.
- Instituting lobbyist reform.
PA House Republicans are sensitive to the Pennsylvania taxpayer – whether an individual or employer.
- Legislative Republicans successfully defeated each of Governor Wolf's massive tax-and-spend budget proposals since 2015. For example, his 2015 budget proposal would have raised more than $12.5 billion in personal and business taxes, costing a family of four an additional $2,500 each year.
- While some politicians believed taxes were the only way, Republicans found a better way – without raising sales or income taxes.
We have done this with responsible fiscal policies and controlled spending.
- Wisely Using What We Have. To balance the budget without raising taxes, led by House Republicans, various “special” fund transfers were approved from underused accounts. (Act 44 of 2017, the Fiscal Code)
- Debt Reduction. To better manage the state’s capital debt program, again, led by House Republicans, the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) debt is reduced by $300 million over four years. (Act 45 of 2017)
- The Taxpayer Protection Act. Although it died in the Senate (the clock has run out), the House successfully voted to amend the Constitution to limit state spending by imposing a spending cap. (House Bill 110)