Rep. Jim Struzzi: Shapiro’s budget strikes out the Rainy Day Fund

Similar to a baseball umpire, we make an initial call when we first see the governor’s budget request.  It’s a real-time assessment of the governor’s speech and budget materials.

Like any good hitter, the governor is hoping for a small strike zone.  Fortunately for us, there is no need to use the Automatic Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) to confirm our initial call – we have Budget Hearings. 

Budget Hearings allow the House and Senate to review the governor’s proposal.  Both chambers’ Appropriations Committees hold formal public hearings to analyze agencies’ spending proposals and hear from agency heads. 

Throughout this year’s budget hearings, we discussed affordability, and the many issues that impact the cost of living for Pennsylvanians. 

For House Republicans, affordability starts with lowering energy prices.  Energy costs are lowest when energy generation is abundant and produced through coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants; it’s simply a matter of supply and demand. 

We called strike one when our review showed that the governor was offering no real plan to unleash our energy industry and bring down prices for consumers. 

Like any Pennsylvania family, we know you cannot budget for one year without considering the future.  It’s common sense to realize that money spent today will have impacts tomorrow.

The governor, however, thinks planning is not an important part of budgeting. His proposal assumes expenditures will only grow by 0.78 percent over the next four years while his last three budgets grew by an average of 5.6 percent to create the façade of a balanced budget.

Strike two. 

Our House Republican Appropriations members all agree: the governor’s $53.26 billion budget spends too much without any viable plans to grow our economy.  Even including the governor’s unrealistic new revenues from recreational marijuana and skill games taxation, the budget spends nearly $4.6 billion more than it takes in.  

The budget also relies on unrealistic new revenue schemes, like $729.4 million from recreational marijuana.  Most of that money is from one-time fees which even marijuana advocates say are priced too high.

On top of that, the governor’s plan would drain $4.58 billion from the Rainy Day Fund, leaving just $3.31 billion for emergencies and putting our state’s bond rating at risk.

Strike three, you’re out.        

The governor’s budget may have struck out, but the game is far from over—we are just getting started.

As Chairman of the House Republican Appropriations Committee, my role is to be the team manager, placing each member in the right position on the field so they can play to their strengths. 

Our committee brings a wide range of perspectives to the table: small business owners, a combat veteran, a former school board member, a marketing executive, a carpenter, and several attorneys. Together, our 15 members represent every corner of the Commonwealth.

In the months ahead, we will put these insights to work to deliver real results for Pennsylvania families.

Thanks to House and Senate Republicans, the current year’s budget delivered home runs, like eliminating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, as well as triples and doubles such as permitting reform and program integrity—and plenty of singles along the way.

We can build on these wins and, if we stay focused, avoid the extra innings of a late budget. Our priorities remain clear: lower costs, a stronger economy, and real accountability.

Rep. Jim Struzzi represents the 62nd district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is House Republican Appropriations Committee Chair.