What People Are Saying About Governor Josh Shapiro’s Commonsense Budget to Address the Issues Pennsylvania Faces

March 07, 2023

Harrisburg, PA – Leaders across the Commonwealth are applauding Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget for its commonsense solutions to the challenges Pennsylvanians are facing every day. From building an economy that works for all, to ensuring every child receives a quality education, to investing in safe and healthy communities, Governor Shapiro is focused on the issues that matter most. Pennsylvanians are excited come to together behind the Governor’s commonsense investments that will solve problems, create opportunity, and advance real freedom here in Pennsylvania.

Read what people are saying about Governor Shapiro’s budget priorities for the 2023 fiscal year:

PennLive: Shapiro’s education budget restarts free breakfast, adds mental health services

ABC27: Shapiro budget includes State Police fund, millions for cadets and equipment

Associated Press: Shapiro’s 1st Pennsylvania budget stresses schools, reserves

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Gov. Josh Shapiro unveils $44.4 billion budget that he says ‘lowers costs and cuts taxes’

On Twitter:

PSEA: Third-grade teacher Jess Porter from North Hills School District is in the house for today’s #PABudget address, and @GovernorShapiro just recognized her and expressed his appreciation for all that she is doing for her students. #PSEAProud

Action Together NEPA: @GovernorShapiro wants property tax relief for seniors, and so do we! #PABudget

Better Pennsylvania: Very happy to see the Property Tax Rebate growing in the @GovernorShapiro budget 👏👏👏

SEUI PA State Council: @GovernorShapiro acknowledging burden on PA’s working families, committed to lowering costs for us, putting money back in our pockets. #pabudget

Action Together NEPA: Whole Homes Repair funds ftw!!! @GovernorShapiro #PABudget

Emily Greene: No doubt, @GovernorShapiro’s work on removing degree requirements for public-sector jobs and removing regulatory barriers to employment opportunities is much needed.

At @AFPPennsylvania, we hope he will support reg reform as the legislature works to get this to his desk.

Americans For Prosperity: We agree, @GovernorShapiro: we need to lower the corporate net income tax. We’re excited about Senator @wgregrothman and @SenatorAument to accelerate this reduction. #PABudget

Stephen Caruso: Applause for Shapiro wanting to fund four new classes of state police cadets — 380 officers in all.

Sy Snyder: Full standing ovation when Shapiro says “everyone should stand for our firefighters.” He’s right. We should.

Center for Children’s Justice: Investment in public defenders as sought by @GovernorShapiro is investment in children who have a parent connected to criminal justice system, often for non violent offenses, which then often leads child to spend time in #fostercare

POWER Interfaith: That’s right! @GovernorShapiro Working people can’t live off of $7.25/hour! It’s time to #raisethewage AND also to an end to wage preemption. Go a step further and call for an end to wage preemption. It is time to let municipalities across PA set their own minimum wages #PABudget

ConservationPA: Methane gas is leaking out of orphaned wells across Western Pennsylvania! We need to protect the environment AND protect jobs! Let us do that work together and plug the abandoned wells, @GovernorShapiro!

American Conservation Coalition: This is the leadership Pennsylvania needs!

Clean Water Action PA: We applaud @GovernorShapiro for including as part of his #budget address financing for capturing #methane  by plugging orphaned & abandoned #oilandgas wells, investing in @PennsylvaniaDEP & getting #NorfolkSouthern to commit to a floor for making our communities whole again.

Center For Children’s Justice: “We need to listen to our children” especially as it relates to mental health. Absolutely spot on @GovernorShapiro

Jerry Zahorchak, Former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education: Excellent! Great budget for all children and families! Investing in PA the Shapiro way will create an enormous ROI for all of us!  Wow, talk about comprehensive and systemic choices!

Level Up PA: “Last month, President Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer of the Commonwealth Court issued a ruling declaring Pennsylvania’s system for funding public education unconstitutional. That ruling was a call to action. Literally.” We couldn’t agree more @GovernorShapiro #PABudget

Scott Overland: This is huge. This is the funding we need right now to help our students and communities. Kudos to @GovernorShapiro for a budget that seeks to address the real problems we face in Pennsylvania.

Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania: “PA hospitals thank @GovernorShapiro for calling attention during his budget address to the importance of investing in the health care workforce, Pennsylvanians’ mental health, and access to care in rural communities,” HAP Pres/CEO Andy Carter said. More: http://bit.ly/3L607bG  

From Members of the General Assembly:

Sen. Jay Costa: Full minds are built on full bellies. We need to make sure our kids are fed at school. This is an excellent proposal from @GovernorShapiro

Sen. Lindsay Williams:🚨🚨 BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨It’s National School Breakfast Week and Gov. Shapiro has included extending PA’s Universal Free Breakfast program PLUS expanded access to free lunches in his 2023-24 Budget Address! Show your support at https://snapa.org/mealsforall.

Sen. Sharif Street: Locally farmed fresh produce supports our small businesses and reduces our carbon footprint. That’s why we worked hard to ensure Urban Agricultural Grants. Good to hear @GovernorShapiro cite this as a budget priority! #pabudget

Sen. Amanda Cappelletti: Our minimum wage in PA is shameful. We must #RaiseTheWage and ensure our workers have what they need to provide for themselves and their families. I’m glad to hear @GovernorShapiro call for a $15 minimum wage during today’s budget address.

PA House Democrats: House Democrats stand with @GovernorShapiro — it’s time to #RaiseTheWage and make sure workers can afford to be customers so we can get more money to grow our communities and our economy!

PA House Democrats: Kids have to attend school — it’s the law. But too many kids go to school hungry and ashamed because they can’t afford to eat. We stand with @GovernorShapiro to get free breakfast for all kids.

Rep. Jessica Benham: I’m grateful the Governor is emphasizing lowering costs for Pennsylvanians, because I’ve seen firsthand the ways that inflation is impacting working families in my district.

I’m especially thrilled to hear his plan to expand the property tax/rent rebate program, which helps our seniors and Pennsylvanians with disabilities make ends meet.

Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta: Excited that Gov. Shapiro leads with increasing relief for seniors and disabled Pennsylvanians by expanding the property tax/rent rebate program. I’m ready to work with @GovernorShapiro to get that done for Pennsylvania.

Rep. Mike Schlossberg: Biiiiiig budget for mental health:

– Half a billion for school mental health over five years.

– Multi-year restoration of the county mental health and substance abuse line items.

– Sustained funding for 988 funding.

Rep. Dan Frankel: This is crucial to protecting our planet and the public health 👏👏👏

Rep Malcolm Kenyatta: Let’s invest in public education and VO tech. Ready to vote for a budget that does just that. Excited to see @GovernorShapiro commit to investing a billion dollars in our students and schools.

PA House Democrats: House Democrats stand with @GovernorShapiro’s #PABudget to invest in Public Defenders and help slash the recidivism rate — making sure the people who earned a second chance get it without red tape getting in the way while keeping the dangerous criminals off the street.

PA House Democrats: We need more nurses. We need more police officers. We need more teachers. We’re standing with @GovernorShapiro’s #PABudget to get more of them on the job with tax credits for people joining those careers and build #BetterSchools and #SaferCommunities.

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