![]() |
||||
Dear Friend, Please find an update on what has been happening in Harrisburg and around the 32nd District below. Pat Stefano
Pennsylvania Budget PassesThe 2019-20 state budget builds on the success of Senate Republicans over the past 10 years in managing taxpayer dollars wisely. As a result, this budget meets all of the core responsibilities of state government with no new taxes. The fiscally responsible budgets and policies we have enacted have helped the state beat revenue projections by $865 million this year; while this is certainly encouraging, lawmakers have a responsibility to continue to ensure these funds are allocated responsibly. This budget was passed without a tax increase and increases spending by just 1.8% over last year’s spending. Some higlights in this year’s budget:
Hear from me in the video above on how we do just that in this year’s budget. PA Budget Invests in AgriculturePennsylvania’s 59,000 farm families manage more than 7.7 million acres of farmland, and the agriculture industry generates more than $7.5 billion in cash receipts annually. In February, Governor Wolf proposed a $4 million cut to critical programs in the Department of Agriculture. Senate Republicans not only worked to restore these cuts, but also boosted funding for agriculture by more than $19 million. In the above video, hear me talk about which programs this budget highlights. Funding What WorksFor more than a decade, Senate Republicans have led the charge to restrain the growth of state spending and avoid painful tax increases. During that time, Senate Republicans have helped trim more than $4 billion from budgets proposed by the Governor, holding spending increases below the rate of inflation. In this video, you will hear from me and my colleagues on how the FY 2019-20 Budget funds the programs that work for you. Taken together, these investments will help Pennsylvanians reach their fullest potential. The 2019-2020 Budget Helps Those Experiencing Difficult Times:
Following the RulesYou may have heard about the chaos on the Senate floor when Lt Governor Fetterman and Senate Democrats chose to ignore the rules of the Senate and in doing so shred our constitution to enact their far left agenda. I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what actually happened and why we voted to eliminate General Cash Assistance, a program fraught with waste, fraud and abuse. Finally, I also wanted to explain how this budget helps those in need by Funding What Works to bring people out of poverty. I encourage you to learn more at SenatorStefano.com and PASenateGOP.com Taking Steps to Secure Our ElectionsThis year, the Senate has taken up a number of bills aimed at reforming our elections process in order to ensure fair elections in the Commonwealth. My contribution to this process has been Senate Bill 418, which helps save counties money by reducing the number of ballots needed to be printed for each election. It passed the Senate by a 31-19 vote. My bill was then included into SB 48 which would provide funding to counties for the purchase of new voting machines which the Governor unilaterally mandated. The bill also eliminated straight party voting and made changes to the absentee ballot process. Unfortunately Governor Wolf ignored the needs of counties and vetoed this critical bill. Hear more about our efforts in the video above. |
||||
|
||||
![]() ![]() ![]() If you do not wish to receive this email, click here to unsubscribe. 2023 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorstefano.com | Privacy Policy |