State Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) says he and his Senate colleagues will carefully study the $33.2 billion state General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2018-19 unveiled today by Governor Tom Wolf before a joint session of the General Assembly.
As presented, the Governor’s budget proposal includes a $1.2 billion (3.7 percent) increase in state spending from the current fiscal year.
“Although the Governor is not requesting a broad-based tax increase, the decision to again increase state spending, continuing to push for a Marcellus Shale extraction tax, and implementing a $25 per-capita fee for municipalities that rely on the State Police for local police coverage is questionable, at best,” said Langerholc.
The Governor’s budget also seeks to eliminate several programs’ funding. In addition to several cuts to programs funded through the departments of Health, Labor & Industry, and Military & Veterans Affairs, the Governor is again proposing to eliminate funding for several agricultural programs.
“We fought tooth and nail for over 10 months to enact a responsible budget last year. A budget that is working, a budget that saw January’s revenue at $93 million over projection. Now with a stroke of a pen, the gains are wiped away and spending is drastically increased. And the new policies proposed will hurt the hardworking families of the 35th Senatorial District.” said Langerholc.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Langerholc will be part of a three-week series of Departmental Budget Hearings beginning on February 20. The hearings provide an opportunity for the Appropriations Committee to hear cabinet secretaries and other Administration officials detail their plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The state’s current fiscal year ends on June 30.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando (717)599-1164