Senate Budget Reflects Deep Concerns about Cuts But Doesn't Restore Enough of What PA Values

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Senate Budget Overview: Plan improves upon the Governor's budget, but deep cuts to education and health remain. Read more.

May 9, 2012

Co-chairs Stephen Drachler and Peg Dierkers issued the following statement on behalf of the Better Choices for Pennsylvania Coalition on the state Senate's passage of a 2012-13 budget bill today:

"We applaud the Senate for advancing a budget that reflects Pennsylvanians' deep concerns about the cost of Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed cuts, but this budget does not go far enough to restore the investments that citizens value.

It leaves in place half the cuts to county services for children, seniors and people who are receiving treatment. It eliminates General Assistance for 68,000 Pennsylvanians working to achieve independence. It leaves intact most of the cuts to public schools that have already led to the loss of 14,000 teachers and support personnel from the classrooms

The Senate budget leaves money on the table that is necessary for a sustainable funding plan. It keeps the sales tax vendor discount, a loophole even Governor Corbett wants to close, at a cost of $41...

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PA Senate Approves Budget, but Deep Cuts Remain

Funding Tables

Funding by Department (PBPC)

Education (PBPC)

Health Care/Public Welfare (PBPC)

Other Selected Line Items (PBPC)

All Line Items (PA Senate)

Media Statement

Media Statement (Better Choices)

May 9, 2012

The Pennsylvania Senate approved a $27.6 billion budget plan today by a vote of 39-8. The plan improves upon the budget proposed by Governor Corbett, but deep cuts to education and health services remain.

On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a rare display of bipartisanship, adopted two Democratic amendments and unanimously approved the spending plan.

The Senate budget, Senate Bill 1466, finds savings from reduced spending on general obligation debt and school employee retirement costs. Most departments remain unchanged. Funding for education, public...

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Hundreds Rally at Capitol to Save Critical Services for Families

PA Cares for All Rally Photo 1700 Pennsylvanians gathered at the state Capitol today to call on Governor Corbett and the General Assembly to restore funding for General Assistance and critical county services for children, seniors, the homeless, people with disabilities and people receiving mental health treatment.

General Assistance is a benefit of last resort that offers people who are sick or living with a disability a tiny grant allowing them to participate in treatment, rent a room in a boarding house or find a shelter bed. Women fleeing abuse use it as a lifeline when they escape their abusers. Roughly 68,000 people in every county use the program together with Medical Assistance (MA) to avoid homelessness and build a better life for themselves. Governor Corbett has proposed eliminating General Assistance.

The Governor's budget would also lump several proven county health and human service programs into a proposed block grant, without any goals or plan, and make an across-the-board 20% cut to funding.

The elimination of General Assistance and cuts to county services will leave hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians in the dark and will...

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