Feb. 07, 2017
HARRISBURG – Calling it a good step toward restarting Pennsylvania government, Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest) today said she is optimistic that the 2017-18 budget process can work for the people of Pennsylvania and the 63rd District by being responsive to those who pay the bills.
“The overriding message of the governor’s budget address was that he’s listening, and that’s a refreshing change from the past two years,” Oberlander said after the joint session of the General Assembly. “The budget process the governor has used the past two years just doesn’t work, and it’s time to restart it so that we can better prioritize state services and programs and be more accountable.”
The $32.34 billion budget proposal, as outlined by the governor, is balanced, but without broad-based increases in sales and income taxes.
The proposal contains billions in potential cost-savings, including two main consolidations in state government. One would involve merging health and human services and the other would bring together criminal justice divisions in corrections, probation and parole. The intent is to consolidate duplicative functions, eliminate unnecessary agencies and streamline services through better innovation and technologies.
“I’m very interested in looking at the details of these proposals to ensure that we get the biggest bang for our buck while also ensuring services are delivered in the best possible way,” Oberlander said. “One thing we cannot do is maintain the system as we always have. To make a change of this scale is going to require leadership, and I know we are up to that difficult task. The people of Pennsylvania are counting on us to listen to them, and this budget certainly reflects their priorities.”
Representative Donna Oberlander
63rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
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jkeaton@pahousegop.com
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