On Friday, Governor Tom Wolf signed the 2019-2020 budget into law.
The $34 billion spending plan presented to Wolf on Friday was signed along with all the accompanying legislation just after the State House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. The State House had to deal with a critical education bill that stalled the night before over age requirements. Some Republicans were against a provision to lower the children’s mandatory starting age from 8 to 6 years old. That measure was in the package of bills sent to Governor Wolf.
The budget that was signed into law includes increases in funding for public schools and universities, holds the line on increases in the income and sales taxes, and puts more leftover cash into the state’s “Rainy Day” fund. It also continues a decades-old cash assistance program for the destitute deemed temporarily unable to work. Wolf said he wants to find other ways to help those people.
The budget takes effect Monday.
