Jun. 27, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Allegheny/Washington) hailed an historic agreement between the House and Senate that would result in public employee pension reform, liquor privatization and a balanced budget that contains no tax increases.
The House acted today to approve the budget component of the package, which would increase funding for K-12 education and meet the state’s obligations without the massive hikes in sales, income and energy taxes proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf.
“This is the people’s budget,” said Saccone. “We’ve done what the people have sent us here to do. They’ve told us they want pension reform – we’re going to vote to move new hires into 401(k)-style retirement plans like those offered in the private sector. They’ve told us they want the state out of the liquor business – we’re going to vote to privatize the state stores. They’ve told us they can’t afford higher taxes – we voted to balance the state budget without raising a dime in new taxes. This is a great day for Pennsylvania and represents a tremendous victory for the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
While praising the actions of the Legislature, Saccone had stern words for governor, who has threatened to veto the budget and other reform measures.
“If we have a government shutdown, it will be because this governor chooses to do the bidding of special interests and ignore the pleas of hardworking Pennsylvanians who can’t afford $5 billion in new taxes,” said Saccone. “The ball is in his court. The governor will be presented with an on-time, balanced budget that funds our priorities and protects our state’s most vulnerable citizens without a tax increase. He’ll have to decide whom he’s working for – the people or the special interests. I call on the governor to do the right thing and sign this budget.”
Saccone added, “If the governor vetoes pension reform and liquor privatization to appease government unions, the citizens of this state will be gravely disappointed.”
Saccone also announced that the House budget proposal incorporates a new Basic Education funding formula that more fairly distributes funding to the state’s 500 school districts, using objective criteria related to population growth and inflation.
Under the bill passed by the House, schools in the 39th District would see the following funding increases:
• Bentworth School District - $57,663, an increase of 0.9 percent.
• Bethel Park School District - $116,418, an increase of 1.4 percent.
• Elizabeth Forward School District - $97,975, an increase of 1.1 percent.
• Ringgold School District - $139,520, an increase of 1.1 percent.
• South Park School District - $68,600, an increase of 1.1 percent.
• West Jefferson Hills School District - $83,177, an increase of 1.6 percent.
These education increases are part of more than $400 million in new statewide education spending authorized by the budget proposal. The Senate is expected to pass the same budget and send it to the governor’s desk by the June 30 deadline.
For more information, please visit
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Representative Rick Saccone
39th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Contact: 412.653.1025
RepSaccone.com /
Facebook.com/RepSaccone