Northern Tier News

Rep. Tina Pickett, representing Bradford and Wyoming, attended a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to listen to Governor Josh Shapiro's budget proposal for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The governor proposed a spending plan of nearly $51.5 billion, marking an increase of $3.57 billion or 7.5% from the current fiscal year.

In response to the proposal, Rep. Pickett issued a statement expressing her concerns about the sustainability of the budget. She stated, "The reality is a lot of things in the governor’s budget proposal sound good. They sound like things we would want to have in place in Pennsylvania. But the fact is, the governor is proposing a 7.5% increase in the state budget with a projected revenue increase of less than 3%. That is simply unsustainable, and it will not work."

Pickett highlighted issues such as inflation and healthcare accessibility that could be exacerbated by some proposals in Shapiro's budget plan: "When I talk to people, I hear of their concerns about inflation... They are also concerned about their health care and its accessibility, especially in our rural areas."

Energy was another area of concern for Pickett, particularly regarding potential taxes on natural gas: "Another concern in our Northern Tier communities is energy... We must be certain the Commonwealth remains an energy leader and that we make energy in every form more affordable."

Despite her reservations, Pickett expressed her anticipation for upcoming budget hearings: "I look forward to the upcoming budget hearings... I really appreciate all the things the governor brought forward in his address, but I do recognize there is a lot of work to be done."

The House Appropriations Committee will begin examining Governor Shapiro's plan on February 18th through a series of hearings aimed at scrutinizing how state departments are allocating their funds. Both the General Assembly and Governor Shapiro aim to finalize this year's budget by June 30th.