Jul. 06, 2023
HARRISBURG – Late last night, the House considered its General Appropriations bill for the 2023-24 fiscal year. State Rep. David H. Rowe (R-Snyder/Union/Juniata/Mifflin) cast a no vote and shared his concerns in the following statement:
“The agreed-to budget plan drastically overspends, appropriating $1 billion more than it takes in which will force the government to turn to taxpayers to foot the bill for its irresponsible spending in as little as four years. Equally dangerous, is the prospect of the state deficit topping $10 billion in five years, assuming spending continues to grow at 6%.
“Gov. Josh Shapiro has proven himself to be an untrustworthy negotiator. Earlier this week, he announced he would abandon his campaign promise to support Pennsylvania students in the bottom 15% of school districts. Because of his failure to hold firm on this commitment, more students will remain trapped in failing schools across the Commonwealth. As a fierce advocate for school choice, this deeply disappoints me.
“Lifeline Scholarships represented 0.2% of the entire budget, yet Democrats drew the line on spending here. Budgets show where your priorities stand. My priorities include giving children in failing schools the tools to achieve their American dream and protecting taxpayers from tax increases. I cannot support a budget that does not align with this.”
Rowe emphasized that Pennsylvanians are reaching deep into their pockets at the grocery store, at the gas pump and when paying their utility bills. His constituents follow household budget plans, and he believes state government must do the same and be more responsible with taxpayer dollars. He is an advocate for legislation that would put additional guardrails on tax dollar spending like the Taxpayer Protection Act.
Questions about the budget or any other state-related issue can be directed to Rowe’s office at 570-837-0052.
Representative David Rowe
85th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Katelin Morrison
717.260.6502
kmorrison@pahousegop.com
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