Mar. 16, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) today voted to bring the 2015-16 state budget to a close by restoring funding for schools, higher education institutions, hospitals, agriculture programs and more. The funding was vetoed from the budget by Gov. Tom Wolf late last year.
“Because the governor chose to veto half of the money the General Assembly approved for public schools, many of them are faced with the very real possibility of closing their doors,” Causer said. “Because the governor chose to veto $50 million in funding for Penn State’s agriculture programs, its research, extension and 4-H programs could be forced to close down staring on May 1, taking 1,100 jobs with them. And because he vetoed funding for critical access hospitals, quality, affordable health care for rural areas like ours is at risk.
“It is time for the governor to put an end to the crisis he manufactured and sign this budget,” Causer said. “Holding people hostage to leverage support for higher spending and higher taxes – which taxpayers across the state have said they don’t want and can’t afford – is wrong, and it has to stop.”
The budget passed by the General Assembly today would bring total spending in the 2015-16 state budget to $30.031 billion, an increase of approximately 3 percent over the prior year. It would not require any new taxes to balance.
It would provide $5.93 billion in funding for Pennsylvania schools, an increase of $200 million over the prior year and $50 million more than the funding vetoed by the governor in December. It reinstates the funding vetoed by the governor for community colleges, the State System of Higher Education and state-related institutions including the University of Pittsburgh.
It also restores funding to critical access hospitals, which are vital to ensuring access to quality, affordable health care in rural areas of the Commonwealth.
“It is long past time to provide vital funding to our schools, hospitals and other programs and organizations that need it to continue serving the Commonwealth,” Causer said. “The governor agreeing to finally release this money will certainly not put an end to the debate over his taxing and spending priorities. We can and should continue that debate without continuing to hold our schools, hospitals and ag programs hostage.”
The governor’s 2016-17 budget proposal would increase spending to more than $33 billion and would pay for it through a series of tax increases, including an 11 percent hike in the state income tax retroactive to Jan. 1.
More information about the state budget is available at
RepCauser.com.
Representative Martin T. Causer
67th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia A. Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
RepCauser.com /
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