Jun. 20, 2018
Spending plan dedicates funding to all levels of education, community safety
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Rich Irvin (R-Huntingdon/Centre/Mifflin) today joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing the 2018-19 state budget, which spends $32.7 billion.
“This year’s budget is the culmination of several years of fiscal restraint and planning on the part of the Legislature. In the face of the governor’s repeated calls for tax increases, we held our ground and worked to reduce spending while staving off any additional tax hikes or hidden fees,” said Irvin. “And, our hard work has paid off! The national economy is rebounding, businesses are thriving and unemployment has hit record lows.
“Due to this turnaround in the economy, state revenues are up and the Commonwealth is in a better position to not only meet our financial obligations, but also put some money into the state’s Rainy Day Fund for times of future need,” said Irvin.
Irvin noted that education across all levels will receive increased funding under the budget, such as basic education, special education and early childhood education programs. Higher education institutions, including PennState, will also receive a boost in funding, which he is hopeful will prevent future tuition increases. In addition, career and technical education will receive more funding, and a new block grant program will be set up to provide schools with money for safety initiatives.
“I was glad to have career and technical education receive additional funding in the budget, so we can train more individuals for today’s in-demand jobs,” said Irvin. “Also, early childhood education programs, such as PreK Counts and Head Start, will receive an increase to help give children a solid foundation prior to starting school.”
Also included in the budget is an appropriation to increase the state police complement by 285 troopers, funding to help additional people with intellectual disabilities and money to provide services to families affected by the opioid epidemic.
“Emergency medical services agencies and our rural hospitals will also receive needed funding to enable them to continue serving our communities,” said Irvin.
House Bill 2121, the budget vehicle, will now be considered by the state Senate before going to the governor. For more information on the budget, go to
PAHouseGOP.com and click on “2018-19 State Budget.”
Representative Rich Irvin
81st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
RepIrvin.com /
Facebook.com/RepIrvin