State Budget Earns House Approval
HARRISBURG – In the face of continued economic challenges, the state House adopted a $27.7 billion budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year that funds key services such as education and health care without increasing taxes, said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint).
“After years of overspending, we are continuing the effort to right-size state government,” Causer said. “We are getting spending under control by prioritizing core government services and eliminating waste and fraud within the Department of Public Welfare. Most importantly, we are basing our budget decisions on reliable, sustainable revenue sources.”
Under the prior administration, state spending increased substantially due in large part to the short-term federal stimulus funding. When that money dried up last year, it left the Commonwealth facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall.
“That type of budgeting is irresponsible and unsustainable,” said Causer, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee. “We made it a priority last year and again this year to spend within our means. That led to some difficult decisions about where to invest those limited resources, but I believe the budget we adopted today is another step forward in our economic recovery.”
Education funding has been a top priority in budget negotiations from the start, Causer said. State System of Higher Education schools, as well as state-related institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh, saw their funding cut by nearly 20 percent in last year’s budget, and the governor proposed an additional 20 percent cut for state system schools and 30 percent for state-related schools this year.
Lawmakers insisted the schools receive the same level of funding as the current budget year. “A strong educational system is vital to our efforts to bring more jobs to our Commonwealth and boost our economy,” Causer said.
Funding for K-12 education was also a priority, as lawmakers worked to restore $100 million in Accountability Block Grants. The highly valued grant program provides flexible funds school districts often use for initiatives such as all-day kindergarten or pre-kindergarten.
Causer said he is pleased that critical access hospitals actually received an increase of $500,000 in this year’s budget after being cut last year. The hospitals are important to ensuring access to care in many areas of rural Pennsylvania.
County human services, which were level-funded in the prior year’s budget, were set to be cut by more than $160 million, or 20 percent, under the governor’s budget proposal. However, House and Senate lawmakers worked together to restore $84 million of the funding and also invested an additional $50 million in other areas of the budget to help people with intellectual disabilities.
The budget bill, Senate Bill 1466, is expected to be signed by the governor soon. For more information about the budget, visit www.RepCauser.com.
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“After years of overspending, we are continuing the effort to right-size state government,” Causer said. “We are getting spending under control by prioritizing core government services and eliminating waste and fraud within the Department of Public Welfare. Most importantly, we are basing our budget decisions on reliable, sustainable revenue sources.”
Under the prior administration, state spending increased substantially due in large part to the short-term federal stimulus funding. When that money dried up last year, it left the Commonwealth facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall.
“That type of budgeting is irresponsible and unsustainable,” said Causer, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee. “We made it a priority last year and again this year to spend within our means. That led to some difficult decisions about where to invest those limited resources, but I believe the budget we adopted today is another step forward in our economic recovery.”
Education funding has been a top priority in budget negotiations from the start, Causer said. State System of Higher Education schools, as well as state-related institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh, saw their funding cut by nearly 20 percent in last year’s budget, and the governor proposed an additional 20 percent cut for state system schools and 30 percent for state-related schools this year.
Lawmakers insisted the schools receive the same level of funding as the current budget year. “A strong educational system is vital to our efforts to bring more jobs to our Commonwealth and boost our economy,” Causer said.
Funding for K-12 education was also a priority, as lawmakers worked to restore $100 million in Accountability Block Grants. The highly valued grant program provides flexible funds school districts often use for initiatives such as all-day kindergarten or pre-kindergarten.
Causer said he is pleased that critical access hospitals actually received an increase of $500,000 in this year’s budget after being cut last year. The hospitals are important to ensuring access to care in many areas of rural Pennsylvania.
County human services, which were level-funded in the prior year’s budget, were set to be cut by more than $160 million, or 20 percent, under the governor’s budget proposal. However, House and Senate lawmakers worked together to restore $84 million of the funding and also invested an additional $50 million in other areas of the budget to help people with intellectual disabilities.
The budget bill, Senate Bill 1466, is expected to be signed by the governor soon. For more information about the budget, visit www.RepCauser.com.
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