Republican lawmakers in the State House say Governor Tom Wolf’s budget address yesterday was different from his previous addresses. It was less confrontational and more conciliatory as the executive and legislative branches seek common ground.
Representative Jim Struzzi called it “a good start”, but only the beginning of the process. “I appreciate the governor’s focus on early childhood education, agriculture, reduced regulations related to business and workforce development…In education, I am pleased that the governor has joined (the Republican) caucus in understanding the need to focus on family-sustaining jobs and job training.”
Struzzi cautioned that Wolf’s proposal to increase the minimum wage the $12 an hour will result in the loss of jobs, especially for small businesses, and he and his colleagues in the GOP will resist Wolf’s renewed call for a natural gas severance tax, which the governor proposed for the fifth straight year.
Wolf’s budget relies heavily on the severance tax and other new revenue streams. He’s asking for $1.9 billion more in spending with no tax rate increase. But he also revived his proposal to charge large municipalities for state police protection, which would cost tens of thousands of dollars in new taxes levied by entities such as White Township.
Representative Chris Dush says Wolf’s budget had a different tone this year, with the governor seeming more willing to work with the legislature.
The state budget hearings begin in Harrisburg next week.
