State Budget Update

While I recognize that the nation’s struggling economy will make this a very difficult budget year, I was very disappointed in the governor’s $28.9 billion budget proposal and publicly criticized it for being misguided, short-sighted and potentially harmful.

In my view, the budget as proposed would hurt the most vulnerable among us and curtail promising economic growth opportunities throughout our region. In Northeastern Pennsylvania alone, without seeking any local input, the Administration proposed arbitrarily cutting funding for the region’s promising new medical college and closing the Scranton School for the Deaf. These actions would needlessly curtail economic growth and hurt vulnerable children.

Again, I do not dispute the need to have everything on the table when the legislature considers spending cuts this year. In fact, the state’s $2.3 billion budget shortfall compelled my fellow Senate Democratic leaders and me to freeze all caucus hiring and wages.

Still, I am very disappointed that the Administration did not reach out to the legislature and local officials before these deep and misguided cuts to the school for the deaf and medical college were unveiled.

It is important to note that this is only the first step in a difficult process that reconciles the governor’s proposal with legislative ideas while we continue to assess the state’s rapidly changing financial picture. While the General Assembly will certainly consider the governor’s budget recommendation, I am hopeful the final budget the legislature approves months from now will be markedly different than what was offered last week.