Feb. 04, 2025
HARRISBURG – Rep. Michael Stender (R-Montour/Northumberland) attended a joint session of the General Assembly at which Gov. Josh Shapiro presented his budget proposal for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Stender issued the following statement in response to the governor’s plan:
“The governor’s address marks the beginning of Pennsylvania’s annual budget process, and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues in the House to develop a responsible spending plan that propels our state forward without burdening taxpayers.
“That said, I do have serious concerns about the governor’s proposal. His plan calls for a 7.5% increase in spending, while revenue collections are only projected to grow by 2.5%. At $51.47 billion, this budget would deplete our budget surplus of $2.89 billion by the end of this fiscal year and take money from our Rainy Day Fund as well.
“The Commonwealth simply cannot sustain this level of aggressive spending. I am hopeful we will see a more thorough analysis in the months ahead, which will allow us to make more informed and responsible decisions.”
The governor’s address is just the beginning of the annual state budget process. The House Appropriations Committee will conduct a series of hearings starting Tuesday, Feb. 18, to examine the details of the governor’s plan and how state departments and agencies are spending their funding. The General Assembly and governor face a June 30 deadline to finalize the budget.
Representative Michael Stender
108th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives