Legislators give views on plan
HARRISBURG — The Legislature late Monday night passed a $29.1 billion state budget for 2014-15, but Gov. Tom Corbett has not signed it yet.
Corbett says he hadn’t agreed to every detail in the bill before it passed, so he wants to review it first.
Here is what several legislators who represent Butler County said in e-mail comments about the budget:
• State Rep. Lee James, R-64th, voted for the budget.
“The budget invests in the core functions of government, like education, while holding the line on spending to protect taxpayers,” James said.
The budget includes more than $10.5 billion in funding for education.
The budget also would make significant investments in higher education. Funding for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education would be maintained at the current level of more than $412 million. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency would receive a $5 million increase to boost its funding to more than $391 million.
The budget includes modest increases for black fly and West Nile virus control programs. Department of Environmental Protection funding would be increased by more than $12 million to $140 million.
• Rep. Dick Stevenson, R-8th, pointed out a record-high investment in public education in the state’s new 2014-15 state budget.
“Education is one of the core functions of government, and this budget responsibly invests in our local schools to continue providing a high-quality education to our children,” Stevenson said.
The education budget also includes $200 million for the new Ready to Learn Block Grant program, which gives schools more flexibility in where to direct state resources.
The budget also has an increase in funding for human services, helping to reduce the waiting list for services for people with intellectual disabilities. In addition, the plan prioritizes public safety by funding four new classes of state police cadets.
• Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-10th, said, “This budget can hardly be called responsible, as the changes made to balance it are not sustainable and funds are taken out of the pocket of the wrong people. Using a record amount of revenue from one-time funding sources is not viable and avoids the real fixes that Pennsylvanians both want and deserve.
“Specifically, the transfer of $100 million from a loan fund targeted at small businesses and another $100 million transfer from a loan fund to buy machinery and equipment for businesses targets working-class Pennsylvanians who are the backbone of our economy.
“I also find it to be incredibly bad policy to transfer $30 million from a loan fund meant to help volunteer fire and ambulance squads buy new equipment and upgrade facilities.”
He opposed the budget.
• Sen. Randy Vulakovich, R-40th, supported the budget.
He noted the increases in education spending over the previous budget and funds the core functions of government without raising taxes.
Of the $502.3 million increase, $316 million would be directed toward education.
He too pointed out the money to train four new state police cadet classes.
Vulakovich, a former municipal police officer, said, “This budget steps up the state’s efforts to crack down on child predators and gangs and will ensure that we have adequate state police protection.”
The spending plan also will protect vulnerable citizens by increasing funding for county child welfare programs, services for persons with disabilities, domestic violence programs and rape crisis centers.
• Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, said the budget invests in education, public safety and provides support for essential social and health services and programs, while imposing no tax increases.
The plan provides a $502.3 million increase (1.7 percent) over the 2013-14 fiscal year budget, increases overall K-12 education.
It also allocates $11.4 million to train four new state police cadet classes.
Agriculture, which is Pennsylvania’s top industry, will see a 2.5 percent increase in funding.
