Day Applauds On-Time, Prudent State Budget
HARRISBURG – Calling it a win for taxpayers in the 187th District and across Pennsylvania, Rep. Gary Day (R-Lehigh/Berks) today supported a 2015-16 state budget plan that is mindful of the taxpayer while keeping a hold on state spending.
The $30.18 billion budget, which passed the House today and now goes to the Senate for agreement, has a 3.6 percent rate of growth.
“Over the last few months, my colleagues and I examined every line of the state budget and the governor’s proposal and looked for ways to maximize state savings and minimize the impact to the taxpayer,” said Day, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I am pleased that those savings, coupled with higher than expected revenues, have led us to a balanced budget with no tax increases. This type of prudent budgeting is the exact type of management of state funds that the taxpayers expect and deserve.”
To watch Day’s video comments, click here.
With education making up one of the largest segments of the state budget, public schools will receive $100 million in additional basic education dollars, amounting to more than $5.6 billion in the Basic Education Subsidy line item. The budget also includes money for pension obligations at the school district level, along with additional funding, in the amount of $20 million for special education and $41 million more for higher education, including 3 percent increases for community colleges, state-related and state-owned universities, such as Kutztown University.
Agriculture will receive one of the largest investments, with a total of $23 million in new funding, including more dollars for Penn State agriculture research and extension activities. Several successful agriculture programs were threatened with elimination by the governor’s proposal but were saved in today’s budget.
To help protect the state’s most vulnerable, additional funding is being directed toward home- and community-based services, long-term care, services to persons with disabilities, domestic violence and rape crisis programs, and drug and alcohol programs.
“The June 30 deadline is a constitutional obligation we are taking seriously in the General Assembly, and this budget not only meets that target but does so without further burdening our taxpayers,” Day said. “I am hopeful the governor will set politics aside and realize that the billions of dollars in additional spending he was proposing would set our state back. This budget puts us on the right path.”
Representative Gary Day
187th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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