Northhampton News

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf delivered a proposed $43.7-billion budget to state legislators on Feb. 8, saying that the plan will improve infrastructure and education.

In his speech, Wolf claimed to have turned a $2-3 billion structural budget deficit into a $2-3 billion surplus during his seven years in office. 

“We are no longer digging out of a hole. We’re ready to build,” Wolf said. “And this year’s budget does exactly that, making new investments that will build a brighter future for Pennsylvania families.”

The plan represents the first time the state budget would rise above $43 billion, including a proposed increase of nearly $2 billion for education instruction, according to The Associated Press. 

Wolf also proposed raising the state’s minimum wage to $12, saying it will allow Pennsylvania to be competitive with nearby states for workers.

“Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is still stuck at $7.25. Pennsylvanians haven’t gotten a raise in 13 years. Adjusted for inflation, they’ve actually taken a $2 an hour pay cut,” he said. “We are literally surrounded by states that are giving minimum wage workers a better deal. This is embarrassing. And just like school funding, refusing to address the problem won’t make it go away.”

In a news release from his office shortly after Wolf’s speech, Sen. Dan Laughlin, D-49th, criticized potential spending increases and said the plan would “zero out” funding for the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College system. Laughlin also called the budget plan “sheer fantasy,” and vowed that legislators won’t support it.

“I will do everything I can to ensure not only that funding continues to flow to NPRC, but that our commonwealth gets a state budget that meets the core responsibilities of government without creating more financial problems for every Pennsylvanian,” Laughlin said. 

Other Democrats, such as State Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th, said lawmakers “won’t let” Wolf’s budget proposal happen, claiming that it puts too much of a debt burden on taxpayers.

Mensch claimed that Wolf’s plan would produce more than $13 billion in state deficit by 2026-27.