Shapiro signs budget, vetoes school voucher program
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - The State Capitol in Harrisburg, seen on March 21, 2023.
HARRISBURG – The state finally has a budget after missing the June 30 deadline.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the budget this afternoon, which he calls a “commonsense, bipartisan budget.”
“The people of Pennsylvania have entrusted me with the responsibility to bring people together in a divided legislature and to get things done for them – and with this commonsense budget, that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Shapiro said in a statement.. “Throughout my campaign and in my first budget address, I laid out a vision for how the Commonwealth could create real opportunity and advance real freedom for all Pennsylvanians.
“With this budget and the expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate, we’re making good on that promise by delivering the largest targeted tax cut for our seniors in nearly two decades, creating real opportunity for our workers by expanding vo-tech and apprenticeship programs, supporting our state troopers and local first responders, and making historic investments in our kids and their schools,” Shapiro added. “This is what it looks like when government works together to make Pennsylvanians’ lives better.”
The budget comes with the largest increase in basic education funding in state history — $567 Million — to total a $10 Billion spending plan for K-12 public education.
The budget also continues the $100 Million allocation for Level Up funding, which goes to Pennsylvania’s most underfunded schools, including Shenandoah Valley, Mahanoy Area, and Hazleton.
The budget also expands the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program, to where nearly 175,000 more residents will qualify, and many of the 400,000 seniors who already qualify will see their rebates nearly double. It is the first program expansion since 2006 and the rebate amounts and income limits will increase with inflation, so no senior becomes ineligible just because their Social Security payment increased.
Shapiro also vetoed the $100 Million Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Scholarship Program, which would have provided vouchers for students in struggling public schools to attend private schools.
Mahanoy Area School Board President Steve Gnall complained about the proposed program at a recent school board meeting, instead urging the state to fulfill its obligation in providing adequate funding for public schools. The state recently lost a lawsuit, in which Shenandoah Valley was a plaintiff, that ruled its funding system unconstitutional.
“They want to give ungodly numbers to school vouchers that should come to us,” Gnall said. “It’s by the constitution they’re supposed to take care of public schools.”
There are no private schools of any kind in the Sentinel‘s coverage area, though both Shenandoah and Mahanoy Area students would likely qualify for PASS vouchers.
Senate Republic Leader Bryan Cutler lamented the PASS voucher veto, saying “the single point of failure in this budget remains the majority-fluid House Democratic leadership who essentially vetoed a good faith and bipartisan budget agreement between Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Senate to immediately help Pennsylvania students hopelessly trapped in failing schools.”
“Much work needs to be done to conclude the budget process. We remain ready, willing and able to work with anyone who wants to work with us to finalize important budget-related bills, but continued silence and intransigence from our colleagues across the aisle will only prolong this unnecessary impasse to the detriment of Pennsylvanians,” Cutler added.
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