Jun. 27, 2015

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) voted on Saturday in favor of the budget proposal which would spend $30.18 billion and includes no tax increases. After the vote on House Bill 1192, Kaufer made the following statement:

“A vote in favor of this budget is a vote against raising taxes. This budget is one that lives within our means and spends the money we have. We have seen an increase in our budget of approximately $1 billion with $100 million specifically allocated for basic education funding; $25 million for Pre-K Counts; a $5 million increase for Headstart; and $20 million for special education.

“Overall this state budget plan puts a primary focus on education. This is not a budget about gimmicks. By fully funding our pension obligations, we are responsibly addressing the budgetary concerns of both the present and the long-term obligations of the state.

“On June 1, the tax increases that would be necessary to fund the governor’s budget proposal were put up for a vote in the form of an amendment to a tax code bill. Not one House member, neither Republican nor Democrat, voted in favor of those tax increases. This budget signifies that we will no longer kick the can down the road.

“You can’t spend what you don’t have. And just like the people throughout our Commonwealth, our government must also spend within its means. As people see more and more money taken from their paychecks with the increased cost of living, we, like so many families, must find ways to do more with less. At a time when our state economy is beginning to turn around and regrow our job base, we have put forward a budget that puts in an additional $100 million into basic education while fully paying a nearly 50 percent increase in our budgeted pension obligations that equates to over $500 million and all without increasing taxes. This is a responsible budget, and one that lives within our means.”

Kaufer’s related video comments will be available on www.YouTube.com/RepKaufer.

For more information about this legislation, or any other state-related issue, contact Kaufer’s district office in Luzerne located at 161 Main St., by calling 570-283-1001. Information can also be found online at RepKaufer.com or Facebook.com/RepKaufer.

Representative Aaron Kaufer
120th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Krisinda Corbin
717.705.2032
KCorbin@pahousegop.com
RepKaufer.com / Facebook.com/RepKaufer
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