Jul. 06, 2023
HARRISBURG – Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence) issued the following statement after voting against a $45.55 billion state budget proposal.
“I have pledged to support people-first, future-focused policies, and this budget falls short with many missed opportunities. The budget spends beyond what it should with a 6% increase over the prior year, forcing the state to dip into its reserves in order to meet expenses. We should be working to fix the structural deficit, not make it worse.
“This level of spending is unsustainable and would lead to a tax hike in the near future. The budget also fails to address welfare program integrity to ensure funding is going only to those who truly need it. Increasing a budget by this amount would hurt our businesses and families.
“After pledging to support school choice, Gov. Josh Shapiro caved to the teachers union and will line-item veto $100 million allocated for Lifeline Scholarships, also known as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success, which would have helped students trapped in the state’s lowest-performing schools. This proves the governor’s priorities are special interest groups and not our children’s education.
“Also damaging is the failure to remove the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which will lead to a significant energy tax on Pennsylvania employers and consumers. According to the nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office (IFO), this tax would increase electricity rates nearly four times. It would also cause job losses.
“We can and must do better.”
Representative Marla Brown
9th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rick Leiner
717.260.6437 (office), 717.497.8478 (cell)
Rleiner@pahousegop.com
repmarlabrown.com/ / Facebook.com/RepMarlaBrown