Fellow activist,
Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro gave his budget address, presenting his priorities for the new fiscal year to the PA General Assembly.
According to City & State Pennsylvania, his budget estimates $51.5 billion in expenditures, which is 6% higher than last year. And it is a “continuation of last year’s commitment, showing increased investment in education and rural health and a proposition to legalize and regulate both skill games and recreational cannabis.”
Here are some highlights: -
Includes a $75 million increase in basic education funding and $526 million in increases to Ready to Learn block grants, which primarily go to underfunded school districts.
- Calls for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
- $292.5 million increase in mass transit.
- $10 million in investments in rural hospitals.
- Legalizing marijuana, expected to bring in $1.3 billion in revenue a year.
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$368 million in revenue in from the regulation and taxation of skill games
- $1 billion in property tax relief through homestead exemptions.
- And more.
Here’s why we are sharing this with you today:
Team NPP will be keeping an eye on what is happening in Harrisburg to ensure that our centered communities are prioritized – and keeping track of who is acting on their behalf or is prioritizing billionaires over their communities. It is now in the hands of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to hold budget hearings and negotiate a budget bill that works for ALL Pennsylvanians.
A budget is a moral document. We deserve leaders who will pass legislation to raise our minimum wage, fairly fund K-12 and higher education, legalize and decriminalize adult-use marijuana, and defend abortion access. Will you help us keep voters informed this legislative session by donating $25 now?
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Donations to the New Pennsylvania Project supports our staff’s community engagement efforts including; organizing and hosting town halls, educational webinars, community conversations, and creating digital content, bi-weekly blasts and social media to reach the communities we engage year-round.
Let’s do this,
Team NPP |
