One of the most important jobs of the state Senate is to work on and pass a responsible budget. Last night, the General Assembly delivered, and the Governor signed into law, a $47.59 billion 2024-2025 state budget.
This budget takes an aggressive approach to boosting economic development and job opportunities, and cuts hundreds of millions of dollars in spending from Governor Shapiro’s original proposal – some $740 million which we saved into the state’s Rainy-Day Fund, to hedge against any economic downturn in the future.
Most importantly, the budget contains no tax increases and takes an approach that does not jeopardize the state’s future finances.
One of my top priorities is education. Throughout my tenure in the General Assembly, I have worked to ensure our Commonwealth provides resources to support students as well empowering parents in the education of their children.
For the third consecutive year, the state budget includes more than a billion dollars in new funding for K-12 schools. Additional funding is also included for special education, career and technical schools, and CTE equipment grants. Roughly $100 million is included in the budget to address school safety and security needs as well as mental health concerns.
The budget also addressed the need to change the way we manage cyber charter funding by providing a $100 million cyber charter reimbursement for school districts.
Importantly, the budget also includes new funding to empower parents and families to ensure students can learn in the environment that best meets their individualized educational needs through a $75 million increase in the highly successful Educational Improvement Tax Credit program.
In addition, the budget includes funding for the innovative Grow PA post-secondary education and career preparation plan, which offers scholarships to attract and retain young people to pursue high-demand careers and remain in Pennsylvania after graduation, helping Pennsylvania to turn around our demographic decline. I was pleased to be able to lead this effort in the Senate advancing our state’s system of higher education.
Pennsylvania faces serious challenges in keeping young people in the state, as many young people continue to pursue educational options and job opportunities in other states.
The new Grow PA Scholarship Program will help attract and retain Pennsylvania’s best and brightest students who are interested in pursuing careers in industries the Commonwealth desperately needs. The program will offer $5,000 grants for students enrolled in high-demand educational programs, so long as they live and work in Pennsylvania for at least 12 months for every year they accept the grant.
In addition, an increase of $36 million in the Ready to Succeed Scholarship Program will increase eligibility and allow many more students to benefit from scholarships.
In recent years, Pennsylvania has struggled to attract and retain employers to provide quality job opportunities for state residents. This year’s budget makes major strides toward making PA more competitive by breaking down the barriers that have hindered job growth in the past.
In addition, the budget includes $400 million for the PA Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (SITES) Program to ensure business sites are prepared for development right away.
I believe in the promise of Pennsylvania and strengthening our local communities through these substantial investments. Coupled with our strong focus on expanding jobs and opportunities for Pennsylvanians, this fiscally responsible approach provides a fresh opportunity to address the commonwealth’s economic and demographic challenges and create a brighter future.