Barton Blasts Irresponsible Budget Plan

7/11/2024

HARRISBURG - Rep. Jamie Barton (R-Berks/Schuylkill) issued this statement following House passage of a General Appropriations bill for the 2024-25 fiscal year:

“I come from a business background. When you’re running a business, budget deadlines are non-negotiable. Those deadlines need to be met. It’s incredibly frustrating to me that the state’s June 30 deadline has come and gone in both of my first two years in office without a deal in place.

“Remember, House Democrats have a one-seat majority, which means they control the House schedule. They did not call up a budget bill until the final days of June, knowing that left little to no time to negotiate. That’s no way to run a business, and that’s not how we should be running our Commonwealth.

“Our school districts in Berks and Schuylkill counties already have their budgets done, but they rely on state funding to finish them. By failing to meet our June 30 deadline, the General Assembly is making their difficult job even tougher.

“In addition to the missed deadline, this budget spends way too much taxpayer money. This budget continues the dangerous trend of operating in a structural deficit, meaning we’re spending more money than we’re taking in. We’re funding recurring programs with one-time funds, which will eventually empty out the surplus and Rainy Day Fund we’ve worked so hard to build up as a buffer for economic emergencies.

“Part of the reason this budget is so expensive is because we’re spending more money on essentially the same budget framework the Commonwealth has used for decades. It’s time to go back to the drawing board. Republican Appropriations Chairman Seth Grove (R-York) has proposed Pennsylvania implements zero-based budgeting (ZBB). ZBB would require state agencies to justify their spending, rather than getting an automatic increase year after year. This would help us cut unnecessary costs. Gov. Josh Shapiro himself implemented ZBB while he served as Montgomery County commissioner.

“Pennsylvanians deserve every penny of their tax dollars to be used effectively, and zero-based budgeting can help make it a reality.”