Harrisburg – April 3, 2012 – At a news conference outside the doors of the Senate Chamber, state Senate Democrats unveiled a budget plan calling for more than $1 billion in new investments to help create jobs, fund education and repair the social safety net.
The Senate Democrats’ plan does not require a tax increase.
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Sen. Jay Costa, the Democratic floor leader, said that caucus budget priorities are “balanced and fair because the plan does not contain general tax increases yet it provides for hundreds of millions dollars for new investments in job creation, education, social safety net programs and property tax reductions.”
Costa (D-Allegheny) said that Senate Democrats believe they can cull more than $1 billion in new revenues if Gov. Tom Corbett is willing to engage in discussions.
Costa said that the Senate Democratic budget priorities rely on rebalancing debt, implementing innovation and efficiencies and leveraging federal money.
“We have been promised that we will have a seat at this year’s budget negotiations and we plan on bringing an aggressive, principle-driven plan to the attention of the governor and legislative Republicans,” Costa said.
Last year, Costa and House Democratic colleagues were excluded from budget discussions.
The Corbett administration and Republican negotiators produced a widely-scorned budget plan that eviscerated social safety net programs, caused local property taxes to spike, education programs to suffer, and teachers to be laid off – a plan that “failed to meet the needs of working families,” Costa said.
Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia) said that Senate Democrats were going to closely examine the Corbett administration budget figures given their experience of last year.
“Last year, the governor missed the revenue surplus by ten-fold and significantly underestimated the cost of their bonus depreciation gift to big business,” Hughes said. “We believe that with a true reckoning of revenue this year, combined with the implementation of our budget ideas, we can make investments that create jobs now and meet challenges faced by working families.”
Hughes said Senate Democrats would like to add at least $250 million into Accountability Block Grants and higher education along with another $200 million in job creation strategies that include research and development. He said that his Senate Democratic colleagues are renewing their call to refocus unused cash in the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for job creation.
Hughes also indicated that the amount of money that Democrats are requesting for each item will grow if more revenues become available.
According to Costa, if the Senate Democratic budget priorities are captured and used for the 2012-13 budget plan, overall General Fund spending would only slightly rise – an increase of less than 1.5 percent.
“Our participation in budget discussions will hopefully prevent another budget filled with cuts that have had far-reaching ramifications,” Costa said. “With the resources available and more revenues gained through efficiencies and program adjustments there is no reason why we can’t move Pennsylvania forward now.”
Costa said Corbett’s last budget was unpopular and crafted to benefit big business at the expense of working families and small business.
“Senate Democrats are planning to be proactive in budget negotiations and are willing to have discussions with lawmakers and the administration to achieve a fair, reasonable and responsible spending plan,” Costa said.
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PENN HILLS, March 2, 2012— A meeting room in the William E. Anderson Library of Penn Hills will now carry the names of Williard and Rita Spalding (pictured above). The Spaldings and their family were present when the library foundation announced the dedication in their honor. Also attending the announcement were Jim and Laura Lee Dooley, Greg and Lilia Spalding and Willie (below).
GLENSHAW, PA – (March 21, 2012) – U. S. Steel and Bridge Educational Foundation announced $60,000 of EITC scholarship donations for pre-kindergarten programs today at St. Bonaventure Parish School in Glenshaw, PA.
Representatives from U. S. Steel and school officials joined Sen.Costa and other elected officials for the announcement.
Bridge Educational Foundation is a scholarship organization based in Harrisburg under one of the best government programs in the country – Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program and provides a bridge between Pennsylvania businesses and students. The Foundation has made a difference in the lives of thousands of Pennsylvania families.
“I applaud the Bridge Educational Foundation and its role in providing education opportunities to children and families in Pennsylvania,” Costa said. ” The state’s EITC program deserves our continued support because it enables the Foundation and its corporate partners to make these significant investments in education.”
Teachers, families and students of the schools listed below attended to support the EITC program and to thank U. S. Steel for their tuition assistance and the local legislators for their support.
St. Bonaventure Preschool; St. Clare of Assisi Preschool; St. Sebastian School; Good Shepherd Christian Preschool; Monroeville United Methodist Preschool; St. Gabriel Preschool; Tender Care Preschool in Clairton; Bishop Leonard-St. Mary of the Mount Preschool; St. Agnes-Tender Lamb Preschool; and Family Development Center.
In the last few years the program has been expanded to reach out to additional businesses.
Subchapter S corporations and other business entities that pay their State business taxes under the personal income tax on PA business income can now fully participate in the Program.
The business tax cap is $300,000 for businesses contributing to scholarship organizations and educational improvement organizations (In previous years, businesses contributing to the EITC have not been able to contribute over $200,000)
The business tax cap is $150,000 for businesses contributing to pre-K scholarship organizations (In previous years, businesses contributing to the EITC have not been able to contribute over $100,000)
For information on how to request scholarship funding please visit www.bridgeedu.org and click on the scholarship tab.
HARRISBURG, March 7, 2012— Pennsylvania takes an important step toward making its roadways safer for drivers when the ban on texting while driving goes into effect this week, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa said today.
“Distracted drivers are a significant risk on our streets and highways,” said Costa (D-Allegheny). A study by Virginia Tech Driving Institute revealed that those who resort to texting while driving are 23 times more likely to meet with a vehicle crash. “The new law bans texting, as well as the sending of instant messages and email while driving in Pennsylvania.”
Costa said the long-term success of the law will hinge on whether the practice of not using wireless interactive devices while behind the wheel becomes part of the culture on the road. “Much in the way that the seatbelt use was increased dramatically when Pennsylvania enacted a mandatory seatbelt law, I hope that texting and emailing while driving becomes a thing of the past.”
Texting while driving would be considered a primary offense, a police officer can pull a driver over if the officer sees a driver texting. However, if a driver is selecting or entering a phone number or name for the purpose of making a phone call, they will not be violating the texting ban. Drivers are permitted to pull off to the side of the road and put their vehicle in ‘park’ and use their phone to text.
Anyone convicted of texting while driving under the new ban will face a fine of $50 for each infraction. Pennsylvania now joins more than 30 other states that already have a texting while driving ban.
Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming type of distracted driving. In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and an estimated 448,000 were injured.
More information can be found on Pennsylvania’s texting while driving ban here.
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HARRISBURG, March 7, 2012 – – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa today voted against another Republican led effort to take rights away from Pennsylvanians. After hours of floor remarks in opposition to the Republican Voter ID bill, the Senate passed House Bill 934 by a 26-23 vote.
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“This is a blatant ideologically driven initiative that limits and diminishes the rights of Pennsylvania citizens,” Costa said. “This is another display of failed leadership by the administration and the Republican majority in Harrisburg on issues that matter to Pennsylvanians. Our roads and bridges are in dire need of repair, thousands of people are out of work and without health care, schools are closing and this legislature would rather concentrate on suppressing voting rights.”
House Bill 934, which is estimated to cost between $4.5 million and $11 million in the first year, would require voters to present photo identification or a narrow list of other accepted forms of identification each time they vote.
A Department of Justice statistic has shown that since 2008, more than 20 million votes were cast in Pennsylvania and there were only four convictions of voter fraud.
House Bill 934 was returned to the House.
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