HARRISBURG – State Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-21) issued the following statement following today’s state budget address by Gov. Josh Shapiro:
“Today the Governor put an extremely aggressive spending plan on the table without the continuing revenue to pay for it. Although this is only the beginning of a conversation, he proposes spending $51.5 billion, a 7.5% increase over this year. But he only projects $47.5 billion in ongoing revenue, including revenue he expects to get from legalizing marijuana and taxing games of skill. Both proposals that have been talked about but have never passed before. This plan relies too heavily upon one-time revenue sources, like zeroing out the Rainy Day fund, which means by next year the conversation will be about tax increases. I think it’s time to be more realistic about our finances and live within our means. We need to focus on stability, being more competitive for jobs and growing our economy.”
CONTACT: Justin Leventry