Mar. 16, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) today acted in favor of taxpayers’ and students’ needs with his supportive vote of the state supplemental budget. While making historic investments in both basic and higher education, the budget is only a 3 percent increase over the 2014-15 budget and would require no new taxes.
“Two of the Commonwealth’s greatest needs are represented with the budget that my colleagues and I supported today. We married the taxpayers’ need to keep the budget affordable with the students’ need to receive a quality education,” Quigley said. “We were successful with the top priorities as communicated to us by Pennsylvania residents.”
House Bill 1801 would add to the record funding for schools that was sent to the governor’s desk in December. It includes a $200 million increase for basic education funding over the previous budget.
It would also restore millions of dollars that Gov. Tom Wolf cut from higher education in the Commonwealth, including for community colleges and the State System of Higher Education. The bill would fully fund the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, Lincoln University and Pennsylvania State University – providing a 5 percent increase for the institutions over what was allocated the previous fiscal year.
Despite prioritizing education at all levels, the budget does not rely on new taxes. Instead, it balances with funds that have been unused in the General Fund as well as spending reductions.
Since
House Bill 1801 passed on concurrence in the House, it now goes to the governor for consideration. For more information on the budget, please visit
www.pahousegop.com.
Representative Tom Quigley
146th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Evans
717.260.6206
aevans@pahousegop.com
RepTomQuigley.com /
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