Jul. 13, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Sue Helm (R-Dauphin/Lebanon) today joined a bipartisan majority of her House colleagues in passing a revenue package and other budget-related bills to complete the state budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17. The legislation was also passed by the Senate and sent to the governor’s desk for his signature.
The $31.5 billion spending plan includes $660 million more for PreK-12 education without the need for any new or increased broad-based income or sales taxes. The additional revenue required to balance the budget will be generated by a number of new, recurring sources, including proceeds from gaming expansions, tax increases on various tobacco products, a tax on digital downloads, profits from the new wine privatization plan and a tax amnesty program. Due to federal mandates and increased corrections and health care costs, the Commonwealth needed to raise more than $1.28 billion in new revenue.
“I was encouraged by the spirit of cooperation that went into reaching an agreement and preventing an impasse like the one that impacted school districts and human service agencies around the state last year,” said Helm. “That bipartisanship resulted in a spending plan that funds our public schools at historic levels, increases the allocation for our universities and community colleges, and provides money to address the opioid epidemic that is affecting every corner of the Commonwealth. We were able to accomplish those goals while still ‘standing up for taxpayers,’ by not burdening them with higher, broad-based income or sales taxes as originally proposed by the governor.”
All school districts in the 104th District will receive additional state funding under the spending plan for basic education, special education and Ready to Learn Block Grants. They include:
• Annville-Cleona: $5.5 million, a funding increase of $121,686.
• Central Dauphin: $23.8 million, funding increase of $843,200.
• Halifax Area: $6.5 million, a funding increase of $107,599.
• Lower Dauphin: $12.2 million, a funding increase of $245,331.
• Millersburg Area: $4.6 million, a funding increase of $52,283.
• Northern Lebanon: $9.1 million, a funding increase of $158,666.
• Susquehanna Township: $5.3 million, a funding increase of $173,432.
• Susquenita: $9.7 million, a funding increase of $96,387.
• Upper Dauphin Area: $6.6 million, a funding increase of $149,246.
• Williams Valley: $8 million, a funding increase of $131,514.
Representative Sue Helm
104th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andy Briggs
abriggs@pahousegop.com
SueHelm.net /
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