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HARRISBURG – The new state budget proposal unveiled by Governor Tom Wolf on Tuesday contains a major flaw, according to Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks). The Governor’s proposal asks the House and the Senate to cut $45 million from school safety programs. “I chaired 10 roundtable discussions across the state on this issue which proved how important investments in more secure buildings and mental health and school resource officers are,” said Argall. “It’s hard to believe that after we fought to include this money last year, the Governor is proposing cuts instead of working to ensure that our children have a safe and secure learning environment.”
Argall sponsored legislation last year to provide non-public schools and faith based institutions with school security funding. This measure aimed to provide all students, regardless of their zip code or where they choose to receive their education, with a safe and secure environment to learn and grow in. The bill was ultimately included in the budget for both public and private schools in 2019.
“Let me make this prediction: House and Senate Republicans and Democrats will work in a bipartisan basis to reverse the Governor’s irresponsible and dangerous cuts to school safety funding,” Argall said.
Senator Argall is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will hold a three-week series of departmental budget hearings beginning on February 18. The hearings provide an opportunity for the Appropriations Committee to hear cabinet secretaries and other Administration officials detail their plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The state’s current fiscal year ends on June 30.
Contact: Jim Brugger
717.787.2637