Dec. 29, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Tarah Toohil (R-Luzerne) today issued the following statement in response to Gov. Tom Wolf’s line-item veto of the General Assembly’s latest budget compromise:
“Today, I was glad to see that the governor did not veto the entire budget. Over the past six months, we have had a vetoed June 30 budget, vetoed emergency funding, and failed line-item veto overrides.
“Today, vital education and human services money is being released to those who need it most. I wish that all of this had happened six months ago, but today’s action makes sure that our students and teachers will be back at school in the New Year. We are making progress because our school students who have been held hostage will no longer be part of the political gamesmanship in Harrisburg, and for this I am glad.
“I am looking forward to getting back to Harrisburg to vote on the other parts of the original budget framework. I am fighting for property tax relief for my constituents as well as pension reform. High pension costs are the main cost driver of high property taxes, and we need to get the Legislature and the governor back to work on these matters.”
Many groups who have been waiting over six months for funding have declared major victories today:
• Students who have been held hostage and schools that were in jeopardy of closing.
• Teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers will all be back to work for the New Year.
• Disabled teens who want to work with the “#I Want to Work Campaign.”
• Foster children and county human services.
The General Assembly sent
House Bill 1460 to the governor’s desk on Dec. 24. The $30.26 billion spending plan funds state government’s core functions and supports Pennsylvania students by increasing education funding to the highest levels in the Commonwealth’s history – without the need for massive tax hikes.
Representative Tarah Toohil
116th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Contact: Rep. Toohil’s Office
717.260.6136
RepToohil.com /
Facebook.com/RepToohil