Jan. 11, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) today voted to approve a 5 percent increase in the state’s appropriations for the Pennsylvania State University over last year’s funding levels to keep tuition affordable for students, without any new or increased taxes on Pennsylvania residents. The vote, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass, failed in the House with little Democratic support.
“Prudent and responsible budgeting over the last several years has given us the ability to finally give this important increase,” Benninghoff said. “There is no acceptable explanation for withholding these available funds. We need to cut them loose.”
The funding package would have provided a $10.7 million increase for Penn State and a $2 million increase for the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Today’s vote would have also allocated funding for the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Lincoln University.
“Those who voted ‘no’ today have chosen to put politics before students in order to use them as leverage,” Benninghoff said.
Benninghoff also voted to increase funding for Penn State and other state-related institutions for the budget approved on June 29. That effort also failed to gain a single Democrat vote when it required a two-thirds majority in the House.
Representative Kerry Benninghoff
House Majority Policy Committee Chairman
171st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives