Senator Scott Hutchinson issued the following statement on Senate Bill 1073, the Fiscal Year 2016-17 General Fund budget.
“Although I am happy that we were able to finalize a spending plan at a reasonable time this year I am concerned about the increased spending in this budget. Certainly no one wanted a repeat of last year, when the protracted impasse had a devastating impact on school districts and vital human service programs.
“However, the spending is at an unsustainable level for the long term and it will soon push us to another crisis point. Although state income tax collections and state sales tax collections have experienced modest growth this year, state government spending continues to grow at a much faster rate. In consideration of the current economic climate in Pennsylvania, I had hoped for more restraint in spending and a greater focus on cost-saving initiatives than what we see in Senate Bill 1073.”
Contact: Justin Leventry (717) 787-9684