On Feb. 6, Gov. Josh Shapiro shared his proposed 2024-25 state budget, which includes an excessive $3.2 billion increase – a jump of 7.1% – in state spending.
This level of increase will make it virtually impossible to balance future budgets without deep spending cuts and painful broad-based tax increases. If left unchecked, the governor’s $48.3 billion spending plan would completely eliminate the state’s current and future budgetary reserves in the next five years.
The governor wants to dramatically increase state spending, which will lead to even greater inflation. We simply cannot afford billions in new spending and tax increases when hard-working families are already struggling just to fill their gas tanks and put food on the table.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will be participating in a series of state budget hearings to fully examine the governor’s proposal and identify fiscally responsible alternatives. The first hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20.