Feb. 06, 2018
HARRISBURG – House Commerce Committee Chairman Brian Ellis (R-Butler) said today that growing the state’s economy will remain a top priority for him throughout the 2018-19 budget cycle. This statement was made following the governor’s budget address on Tuesday before a joint session of the General Assembly:
“The governor’s budget address always marks the beginning of a brand-new budget process, and after the difficulties and disagreements we’ve endured throughout the last three budget cycles, it’s always great to have a fresh start. I will remain steadfast in standing up for the taxpayers of Butler County and not supporting broad-based tax increases; the people simply cannot afford it. Our national economy is doing much better under President Donald Trump, but in Pennsylvania we are still struggling to get to where we need to be.
“Thanks to the responsible budgets my colleagues and I in the House Republican Caucus have fought for over the previous cycles, our state is not facing a gaping budget deficit this year. We have been able to repair the governor’s deficit from previous years while still providing record-levels of funding to education. We need to maintain our policy of not spending more than what we are projected to bring in. We are not intending to consider new revenues with this budget.
“As Commerce Committee chairman, I am especially interested in growing Pennsylvania’s economy so that there are more jobs and more people can get back to work. Free enterprise is the strongest anti-poverty measure, and President Ronald Reagan said it best, ‘The best social program is a job.’ In that same vein, I am supportive of welfare reform measures that would give more Pennsylvania families an opportunity to improve their quality of life, while addressing waste, fraud and abuse from within the current system. All are important things affecting our state budget process and have an impact on growing PA’s economy.
“Just earlier today, the House State Government Committee voted on a package of bills focused on regulatory reform, including
House Bill 1960, a bill I am sponsoring to require agencies to appoint a regulatory compliance officer. All too often, it seems like our state agencies view their roles as adversaries to the business community, where I believe they should be collaborating with businesses to assist them in navigating their regulations instead of acting punitively toward them. This bill encourages collaboration and communication between the public and private sectors. I hope this package of bills is brought up for a vote in the House soon.”
For more information about Ellis’ legislative and budgetary priorities, or any other state-related issue, contact his district office in Lyndora located at 6 Chesapeake St., Suite 200, by calling 724-283-5852. Information can also be found online at
RepEllis.com, or
Facebook.com/RepEllis.
Representative Brian Ellis
11th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Krisinda Corbin
717.705.2032
kcorbin@pahousegop.com
RepEllis.com /
Facebook.com/RepEllis