Dear Neighbor,
Last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro addressed a joint session of the General Assembly and proposed a budget that prioritizes opportunity, fairness, and long-term growth for our state.
This budget continues the progress we made last year on education funding, proposing the second year’s installment of funds to level the playing field for school districts across Pennsylvania. It designates over half a billion additional dollars toward closing the funding gap for both students and property taxpayers– plus an additional $75 million for basic education and $40 million for special education. Every child, regardless of ZIP code, deserves the resources to succeed.
To work alongside of the budget’s economic goals, I also have re-introduced legislation to allow early-stage businesses in Pennsylvania to sell their net operating losses to unrelated companies, converting these losses to capital. This bill would permit funding received from these sales to be used to build and grow the operating business here in Pennsylvania, investing in high-paying jobs and strengthening Pennsylvania’s economy now and into the future.
Meanwhile on the federal programming side of things, I understand and share the concerns regarding the potential impact of proposed changes to programs such as education, Medicaid and support for our veterans and seniors. As more information becomes available, and the impact becomes more defined, we will make sure we are doing all we can to continue to support our communities at the state level.