Mar. 16, 2016
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Rich Irvin (R-Huntingdon/Centre/Mifflin) today supported passage of a bill that would steer the release of needed additional funding to supplement the 2015-16 state budget that suffered critical funding cuts by the governor before being partially signed into law in December. The following is Irvin’s statement:
“Education, agriculture, health care and corrections are all suffering from strategic funding cuts the governor made to the 2015-16 budget he partially signed into law in December. The bill we approved today would restore a lot of those cuts. Basic education would receive additional funding so no school district will need to consider closing its doors. Higher education will also benefit from a 5 percent increase over last year for community colleges and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities.
“The state’s corrections system would also have some essential appropriations restored in order to better ensure public safety and manage the inmate populations. Essential agriculture programs also would be restored to needed levels so Penn State Extension services would not need to shut down and 4-H programming would continue without interruption. With agriculture being the state’s No. 1 industry, funding is critical in various sectors in order to ensure continued growth and job creation.
“Elimination of funding for areas of the budget cut by the governor, such as critical access hospitals, burn centers and child advocacy centers, would have funding restored to the levels the General Assembly approved in the December budget.
“This additional funding would not require any new or increased broad-based taxes on Pennsylvania citizens, and I am hopeful the governor will understand the critical need for this funding and sign the bill into law.”
For more information on the March supplemental budget for 2015-16, go to
pahousegop.com/201516budget.aspx.
Representative Rich Irvin
81st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
RepIrvin.com /
Facebook.com/RepIrvin