HARRISBURG – The Senate of Pennsylvania overwhelmingly approved a spending plan for Fiscal Year 2019-20 today that controls spending increases while investing in vital state programs and not raising taxes.
Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) supported the plan in part because it included increases in funding for agriculture and education, while rejecting some of the Governor’s most costly proposals.
On the topic of agriculture, Argall noted “Dairy farmers have been affected by challenging market conditions in the past year and we tried to do our part to support them and their families.”
Basic Education saw a budget increase of $160 million, and the Governor’s proposed multi-million budget cuts to the Safe Schools program was restored. Non-public schools will also receive a significant increase in school security aid funding, due to an effort introduced by Argall earlier this session.
Argall also sponsored a successful budget measure to support local coal waste to energy facilities.
“With the closing of the NEPCO plant at McAdoo, after many decades of operation, we had to do something–I have a very simple goal with this bill – to protect local jobs and to continue to help them to remove the waste coal piles and fill the abandoned strip mines. This progress which we have seen in the past few decades is only possible through a public-private partnership. To continue this effort, our local coal refuse power plants need to survive,” he added.
The spending plan goes to Governor Wolf for his approval.
Contact: Jim Brugger
717.787.2637