Local lawmakers are offering their reactions to Governor Tom Wolf’s budget proposal.
Republican Senators Scott Hutchinson and Joe Pittman, who both represent portions of Butler County, opposed some of the measures proposed by Wolf.
“Even as Pennsylvania is struggling to recover from the pandemic, the Governor certainly picked perhaps the most inopportune time to call for an 8.2 percent increase in state spending and a 46.3 percent increase in the state’s [personal income tax] rate,” Hutchinson said via press release.
Pittman meanwhile said the taxes on the Marcellus Shale industry would be devastating to his district.
“I found it bitterly ironic that he stands there and talks about the need to invest in public education when his carbon tax will absolutely devastate public education in my (Senate) District,” Pittman said in a press release. “I have school districts that rely on the property tax revenues from power plants to fund their schools. [Wolf] has a carbon tax that will shut them down overnight and cause those districts to be devastated.”
Wolf says his $40 billion plan would decrease the personal income tax for families with two children making less than $84,000. They will receive a tax cut, while a family of four making $50,000 will have their taxes eliminated, according to Wolf’s administration.
Republican State Representative Marci Mustello also joined her GOP colleagues disagreeing with Wolf’s budget.
“It’s going to hurt small business owners and seniors. It’s going to hurt everybody so I’m extremely disappointed with what he said today,” Mustello said.
She also took issue with the lack of funding for community colleges.
“We have a big [community college] in my district. BC3 is expanding now; they’ve got a wonderful nursing program, all sorts of career technical education where their students are ready to join the workforce,” Mustello added. “He didn’t mention any of that.”
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