HARRISBURG – Today, after more than 130 days, both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature passed a $50.1 billion state budget deal. The total amount is down from the $51.6 billion Governor Shapiro offered at his Budget Speech in February and the $50.6 billion House Democrats offered earlier this summer. The budget deal includes a $50 million increase for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, which takes money earmarked for public school students and inequitably move it to private schools, as well as an overall 4.8 percent increase for Higher Education, which includes a 5 percent increase in general support for Lincoln University, a very small increase for the state-related universities, but no budget increases for Community Colleges.
As a result of the extended impasse, many school districts have been forced to take out high-interest loans, community services have been cut, and budgets have been frozen.
In response, AFT Pennsylvania President Wendy G. Coleman issued the following statement:
“AFTPA applauds Speaker Joanna McClinton, House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford, and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa for continuing to fight for Pennsylvanians and working to bring this budget impasse to an end. The people across our Commonwealth deserve elected leaders who do their jobs and fully fund our public education system, public transportation, and public services on time. Senate and House Democrats have time and again done their jobs, and it was well past time that Republicans did the same.
“It is wholly unacceptable that House and Senate Republicans refused to negotiate or pass a budget before now, and they have continued to try to use the budget to force through their harmful agenda, including EITCs, to the detriment of working Pennsylvanians and their families. Pennsylvanians deserve a clean budget that will fully fund our public schools and higher education institutions.”