HARRISBURG, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania budget hearings wrapped up Thursday in Harrisburg with Budget Secretary Zachary Reber going in front of the State House to defend Governor Josh Shapiro’s $53.2 billion budget proposal.
Reber said aside from adding new revenues like adult-use marijuana and regulated skill games, the only place to cut spending in the governor’s spending plan would be in the largest appropriations, which are human services and education.
“If the revenue proposals that we had proposed are not enacted, then we, collectively as the General Assembly and the administration during negotiations, have difficult decisions that would need to be made,” he said.
The secretary estimated Pennsylvania has left about $3 billion on the table by not adopting proposed revenue sources like marijuana, skill games, and raising the minimum wage, over the past four years.
Appropriations Minority Chairman Republican Jim Struzzi called that assertion “a little bit of a stretch,” and called Shapiro’s spending plan irresponsible.
“We're concerned with the impacts on the rainy-day fund, the proposed drawdown of about four and a half billion, the depletion of our surplus, and a lot of other things that we covered over the past three weeks,” said Struzzi, who represents part of Indiana County in Western Pennsylvania.
Appropriations Majority Chair, Philadelphia Democrat Jordan Harris said it’s time for Republicans to put up or shut up.
“It’s easy to be critical without giving a solution,” he said. “Heard a lot of complaints about our five-year projections, but I don’t think I’ve seen even a one-year budget proposal from anyone else who has criticized this budget. So if you’re gonna complain, that’s fine, but complain with a purpose. And, complain with a proposal.”
The Pennsylvania constitution mandates a balanced budget be passed by June 30, but it’s become more common to miss that deadline. Last year’s budget impasse dragged into November.