Harrisburg, PA – Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal is receiving bipartisan praise from leaders all across the Commonwealth for its commonsense approach to addressing the challenges Pennsylvanians are facing. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike are lauding how Governor Shapiro’s budget priorities will solve problems, create opportunity, and advance real freedom here in Pennsylvania – and the Governor is ready to bring people together to pass this budget and deliver real results for the people of Pennsylvania.
See what leaders across the Commonwealth are saying about Governor Shapiro’s commonsense budget:
Speaker Joanna McClinton: @PaHouseDems are ready to work to get @GovernorShapiro’s proposed budget across the finish line! His proposal was one that had ALL residents in mind. From our #youngestneighbors to our #wisestneighbors, we’re ready to ensure YOU are covered when this is finalized in June.
President Pro Tem Kim Ward: The governor said a lot of things that we can all get on board with.
Sen. Lisa Baker: During today’s budget address, Governor Shapiro identified several priority issues that are important to residents of the 20th Senatorial District — helping individuals and families keep more of their hard-earned money, creating workforce development and job opportunities, ensuring safe communities, expanding rural access to health care and mental health services, investing in roads and bridges, high speed internet, and other infrastructure improvements.
Rep. Jim Struzzi: All Indiana County school students stand to benefit under his proposal, including an emphasis on mental health funding. The governor’s desire to increase the Homestead Farmstead Exemption would provide property tax relief and his proposed investments in first responders, law enforcement and roads and bridges would increase public safety and strengthen our infrastructure.
Sen. Jim Brewster: The governor’s budget provides a solid framework for building upon recent improvements to education, public safety, and the environment. I’m looking forward to working with the administration to fill out the framework with the details that will help communities thrive and keep our neighbors safe and healthy.
Rep. Donna Bullock: @GovernorShapiro’s budget proposal invests in Pennsylvanians! I’m grateful to see investments in education and school buildings, in seniors through expanded property tax & rent relief, and in our communities by addressing #gunviolence.
Sen. Lindsey Williams: I was incredibly encouraged to hear that Governor Shapiro included extending the Universal School Breakfast program and expanding access to free lunch in his first budget address. These programs provide our students with healthy meals that allow them to be ready to learn every single day. Providing breakfast and lunch is just as essential to learning as providing textbooks and desks—students can’t learn when they’re hungry.
Rep. Seth Grove: Gov. Shapiro’s proposed budget is a reasonable start to the process.
Sen. Maria Collett: I’m happy to see Governor Shapiro kept his word to prioritize putting money back into the pockets of Pennsylvanians and boosting our economy. This budget eliminates state cell phone taxes, increases childcare subsidies, and finally raises Pennsylvania’s shameful minimum wage.
Sen. David Argall: During Governor Shapiro’s first budget address today, he offered many good ideas, including finding a new way to fund our public schools and breathing new life into old towns and neighborhoods.
Rep. Sheryl M. Delozier: I am glad the governor prioritized our police officers, nurses, & teachers. Supported criminal justice reform and our Troopers.
Sen. Jay Costa: @GovernorShapiro has put forth a thoughtful, reasonable, and doable budget. This budget prioritizes our children, our educators, our workforce, our small businesses, and our seniors.
Sen. Tracy Pennycuick: After hearing the governor’s budget address, I believe there are many areas where we will find common ground and some significant places where continued work is needed. I was pleased that the governor chose to support several important family and senior centric programs.
Sen. Dan Laughlin: I think some of the areas we can agree on include funding for mental health issues, some of the education funding issues
Treasurer Stacy Garrity: We know the state budget will hit a fiscal cliff before long, so it’s good the Governor didn’t propose reaching into the Rainy Day Fund this year…I’m also encouraged by his support for workforce development, including investments in technical education and manufacturing. Additionally, I appreciate his attention paid to senior on fixed incomes, law enforcement, first responders and frontline workers.
Pennsylvania State Troopers Association (PSTA) President David Kennedy: Gov. Shapiro recognizes the first duty of government is the safety of its citizens. We would like to commend him for providing a dedicated funding stream for the Pennsylvania State Police and proposing four new cadet classes in the next state budget to hire 384 new troopers, as well as the additional steps he wants to take to provide more law enforcement officers for Pennsylvania’s communities.
Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia President and CEO Chellie Cameron: The Chamber is pleased to see the Governor’s call for investments in Pennsylvania’s education and workforce, public safety, and energy development. We share the Governor’s vision for the Commonwealth as a leader in innovation, job creation, and economic development through a more competitive business tax and regulatory climate.
Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) President and CEO Andy Carter: HAP and Pennsylvania’s hospitals thank Governor Shapiro for calling attention during his budget address to the importance of investing in the health care workforce, Pennsylvanians’ mental health, and access to care in rural communities.
API-PA Executive Director Stephanie Catarino Wissman: We look forward to working with Gov. Shapiro and his administration to accelerate economic growth in our state’s energy sector and attract new investment while protecting our environment – priorities that will build a stronger Pennsylvania.
AFSCME Council 13 Executive Director David Henderson: As the governor pointed out, Pennsylvania is facing a budget surplus, which presents many opportunities for investments in this commonwealth. Our union will be strongly advocating for our members – the public employees who keep the state running – to be included in those investments.
REFORM Alliance: Thank you @GovernorShapiro for using your first budget address to call attention to probation reforms. So many lives are impacted by this broken system, and your commitment to public safety solutions is historic.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan: I congratulate Governor Shapiro on delivering a thoughtful budget address that outlines a host of investments in critical resources. Specifically, we are hopeful that the urgency Governor Shapiro conveyed surrounding our Commonwealth’s constitutional and moral obligation to provide every child with a ‘thorough and efficient’ system of public education was recognized and taken to heart by legislators throughout the Commonwealth.
PA Women’s Health: Ending the Maternal Mortality Crisis is a cornerstone of WHC’s platform. We are pleased to see @GovernorShapiro’s budget proposal include a $2.3M investment into the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to expand programming and address this crisis.
PA State System of Higher Education Board Chairwoman Cynthia Shapira: We are thankful to Gov. Shapiro for his support of State System universities and his efforts to evaluate higher education funding in Pennsylvania. With nearly 90 percent of our students being from (the) commonwealth, and the vast majority staying here after graduation, funding for the State System is an investment in the future of Pennsylvania. We look forward to working with the governor and General Assembly on investments this year and beyond that prepare students for success and meet the needs of the workforce.
PASSHE Chancellor Dr. Daniel Greenstein: We appreciate Gov. Shapiro’s commitment to PASSHE and fully support his proposal to review structural challenges with post-secondary education funding and other issues. These challenges are confronting states across the country and leave too many jobs unfilled due to a lack of qualified workers and leave behind too many people and communities. This is an opportunity for Pennsylvania to be a national leader in addressing the cost of higher education, aligning programs to workforce needs and opening doors of opportunity for hardworking students and adults in every community.
Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners President-Elect Amanda Laskoskie: While more still needs to be done to address this issue, we applaud Governor Shapiro for announcing new tax credits that will incentivize nurses to practice and care for patients in Pennsylvania. We should be doing everything in our power to attract and retain our talented nurses, and this is an important step. Now further action must be taken to prevent our valued health care professionals from leaving to neighboring states that already offer these incentives, such as full practice authority for nurse practitioners.
Read more about what Pennsylvanians are seeing and hearing about Governor Shapiro’s commonsense budget proposals here:
WTAE: Governor Shapiro’s budget proposes new teacher incentives
Al Día: Shapiro announces $20 million in new funding for divested small businesses
PennLive: Shapiro’s education budget restarts free breakfast, adds mental health services
WGAL: Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal could put more money in your pocket
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