Mar. 16, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Jeff C. Wheeland (R-Lycoming) today issued the following statement on the passage of the March supplemental budget by the full House:
“I am pleased that the House and Senate have, once again, passed a budget plan and sent it to the desk of Gov. Tom Wolf. This is the fifth time the House has moved to fund Pennsylvania’s vital government services including education, agriculture, health care and corrections. This has been done without tax increases.
“In the 83rd Legislative District, urban schools and services in the city of Williamsport have been harmed by line-item vetoes dished out by the governor when he took the blue-line axe to slice 13 percent from House Bill 1460 last December. This petty maneuver caused a lot of pain to real people in rural, suburban and urban areas. It is time to make this right and this is the way to do it. House Bill 1801 can close out the fiscal year 2015-16 budget so we can immediately get to work on the coming 2016-17 plan.
“This supplemental budget restores $6.05 billion in funding to aid in the recovery of basic education -- keeping schools from closing. Also, higher education benefits from a 5 percent increase and critical funding will be directed to our corrections system, vital to public safety.
“Economic development is important to our cities and suburban areas. About $5.75 million is put back to help our Commonwealth continue to recover from the downturn in the economy.
“In health care, funding for critical access hospitals, obstetric and neo-natal services and hospital burn centers is restored. The health of our children and adults at the start of life, in the prime of life and near the end of life, is not something that should be used as ‘leverage’ for tax increases.
“The No.1 industry in the Commonwealth, agriculture, consisting of the people who put food on all of our tables, will receive restored funding for the Penn State Extension, the Agricultural Land Scrip Fund and more.
“Our hard-working Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve to be treated like the great people they are. They work and sacrifice for their families and contribute to a fine quality of life in our Commonwealth.
“The time has come to settle the 2015-16 fiscal year budget and to get on with the true business of the people of Pennsylvania, holding the line on taxes and providing the needed government services that they pay for, without the dread of wondering what tactic will be used by the governor next.
“I call on the governor to sign this supplemental budget and to finally negotiate in good faith on a new 2016-17 budget to put Pennsylvania back on the right track.”
Representative Jeff C. Wheeland
83rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Raymond Smith
rsmith@pahousegop.com
RepWheeland.com