Senator Pileggi - Floor Remarks - Senate Budget Passage

Thank you, Madame President.

The bill now before us represents many hours of bipartisan effort. I would like to thank Senator Mellow, Senator LaValle, and Senator Fumo, for their collaborative approach to this process.

Our caucus has consistently advocated for a budget that meets Pennsylvania's real needs with no tax increases for this year or next, and with spending growth within the cost of living. We are also committed to completing the budget on time, and I know that our friends on the other side of the chamber share that commitment.

Today, the Senate is advancing – with what I hope will be strong bipartisan support – a budget proposal that meets those goals.

The budget before us today does not include all of the desires of every interest group. It does not include all of the desires of our Governor. It does not even include all of the desires of the members in our own caucus.

There is no such thing as a perfect state budget. Our responsibility as legislators is to craft a budget that strikes a balance among many worthy and competing priorities, addressing needs all across the state, while living within our means.

The budget we are voting on today includes many tough choices.

Several line items which have traditionally been funded are reduced or eliminated. Some line items are funded at levels that I personally would like to see higher. And some are funded at levels that I would like to see lower.

But this is a responsible budget.

We were able to restore some funding for important programs that were cut in the Governor's proposal, such as epilepsy support services, lupus treatment, trauma center certification, emergency care research, agricultural research, and self-employment assistance.

This budget increases funding for Education Accountability Block Grants by 25 million dollars. It increases basic education spending by 176 million dollars – 10 million dollars above the Governor's proposal and represents an overall 3.5 percent increase in funding for basic education.

As a General Assembly, we would always like to do more. But when drafting this budget, we constantly reminded ourselves of our core goals: a budget by June 30th that meets Pennsylvania's real needs with no tax increases for this year or next year, and with spending growth limits close to the cost of living.

Madame President, I ask for an affirmative vote on House Bill 1286.

Thank you, Madame President.