As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Brown will dig deep into the proposal.
HARRISBURG – Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) released the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 annual budget address.
“Yesterday was just the beginning of the state budget process. Gov. Shapiro presented his proposal to the legislature for lawmakers to begin the work of delivering an effective and responsible budget for Pennsylvania.
“You must look at a state budget like how you would look at your personal budget. Of course, it is much larger and more complex, but the core principles remain the same. The state does need a savings account to pay the bills during an economic downturn. This financial cushion protects you from tax increases and budget cuts. As presented, Shapiro’s budget wipes out our state savings account within 5 years.
“In a divided government, nothing gets done unless it has the support of both parties. This is why I’m pleased to see multiple areas of shared interest.
“This legislative session, I’ve focused on common-sense proposals, including addressing the mental health crisis, cyber charter school reform and bolstering the state’s response to seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia. All these proposals were mentioned in the governor’s address.”
While Brown expressed overall spending concerns, the governor’s proposal contains several areas of importance for the senator, including funding for Brown’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Infrastructure Bill, bolstering the state’s mental health services and cyber charter funding reform.
The governor’s 2024-25 proposal represents a 7.1% increase in overall spending – $3.2 billion more in state expenditures. This budget would eliminate the state’s current and future budgetary reserves, making it difficult to balance future budgets.
Brown is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. During the next several months, the committee will work to examine the governor’s proposal in depth, focusing on bringing expenditures more aligned with revenue projections and smart government spending.
The Senate Appropriations Committee will begin budget hearings on Feb. 20th.
Video of Brown’s response to the governor’s budget address is available here.
CONTACT: Mackenzie Mueller