Harrisburg, PA – June 30, 2023 − Today, State Senator Jay Costa, D-43, released the following statement on House Bill 611:
“The plan we voted on today is not a final agreement and is just one more step in negotiations.
“As we move through the process, it is imperative that we pass a budget that meets the adequacy and equity goals set out in Governor Shapiro’s budget and in the recent Commonwealth Court fair funding decision for funding public education. Head Start and Pre-K programs and investing in environmental remediation in our school buildings in particular are woefully underfunded in this version, as is funding for our institutions of higher education.
“We were also disappointed in the deep reduction in funding to sufficiently assist our communities to address gun violence, as the Governor proposed in his original plan and as passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month.
As discussions continue, we will advocate for a responsible spending plan that meets the moment.”
The text of the bill is available here.
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