Dear Neighbor,
You may have heard the news. Our Pennsylvania state budget has finally passed.
If you are wondering why it took so long, I will tell you the truth. My friends and I in the House of Representatives presented a good budget bill way back in June.
The only problem: the Senate also had to approve this budget. They nitpicked, dragged their feet, and decided they would rather force Pennsylvanians like you to tighten your belts than pass a responsible funding package. This went on for months.
Well, the budget has finally passed. Our local fire stations and EMS services that were awarded grants will finally receive them. K–12 students will now get the state funding they deserve, direct care workers and adults with intellectual disabilities will receive much-needed support, and working families can take advantage of the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit.
In some good news for Delaware County, the budget also includes $5 million in supplemental payments to our two remaining hospitals to help them maintain their services; both are experiencing big increases in patient volumes since Crozer-Chester and Taylor Hospital closed.
Riddle Hospital will get $3 million, and Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby will get $2 million.