Salisbury supports governor’s proposals to boost schools and affordable housing, reform cannabis laws, raise the minimum wage
Rep. Abigail Salisbury February 5, 2025 | 10:57 AM
HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – State Rep. Abigail Salisbury issued the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address Tuesday:
“There’s a lot to like in the proposed plan, which makes our public schools a priority by delivering more than a half-billion dollars into our school districts and communities,” Salisbury said. “The education funding we passed in last year’s budget was a good start, but the impact of decades of underfunding doesn’t get fixed in one budget cycle. We need an ongoing, large-scale commitment to deliver on our promise to fairly fund our schools, and the new budget plan proposes that kind of investment.
“The plan also addresses the negative impact of cyber charter schools – which have drained critical dollars from our public school budgets – by implementing a statewide cyber funding formula that would help save districts an estimated $378 million annually. There’s a continued focus on student mental health and school safety, with another $111 million proposed for those resources.
“Beyond education, the plan includes commonsense proposals to help make life more affordable for residents. I strongly support the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Our minimum wage has stagnated at $7.25 an hour for the past 16 years and is the lowest of all our neighboring states. It’s time to stop shortchanging our workers and to put more purchasing power in their hands, which in turn allows them to reinvest those dollars back into the economy.
“To address the shortage of child care that leaves working parents without affordable options, the new plan would invest $55 million to help child care centers recruit and retain the best staff.
“I also support the governor’s commonsense proposals to cut housing costs, which include a $10 million investment to help first-time home buyers cover closing costs and additional investments into the PA Housing Affordability Fund. The plan also proposes investing $50 million to create a new statewide housing repair fund, which would help owners who are struggling to make repairs.
“Finally, the governor spoke about the need to legalize adult-use cannabis, as 24 other states have already done, and to expunge the records of people convicted of possession of small amounts. It’s time to recognize the impact that criminalization has had on our community and to try to right those wrongs. It’s also time for the commonwealth to embrace an industry that can bring in an estimated $1.3 billion in revenue.
“No budget plan is perfect, and we will be negotiating the details in the weeks ahead. But the proposed plan – which invests in ways to address real-world problems without adding any new taxes – seems like a solid blueprint for moving forward.”