Junio 25, 2021 − Chester, PA − Senator John Kane issued the following statement on the 2021-22 budget:
“Today, I voted for the proposed budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year. This budget does some good things — an additional $300 million for education, increased funding for our roads and bridges, and desperately needed funding for the Department of Human Services to help with the pandemic recovery. It increases funding for every school district in the 9th, and finally allocates over $1 million per year for Delco’s much-needed health department. And it gets money out quickly which, after a year that saw the worst recession in over a decade, Pennsylvanians desperately need.
But this budget also leaves $5 billion in funding, from both the American Rescue Plan and our budget surplus, on the table. That means the Republican majority is keeping that money away from working people, small business owners, and schools. Just like every year for the past twelve years, it doesn’t raise the minimum wage. I voted no on the school code, which doesn’t allocate a single dollar towards capital improvements for schools with lead in the paint and asbestos in the tiles.
We had the chance to do more to support the people of Pennsylvania, and we failed. So while I supported the budget, I want to make clear that our work isn’t finished, and we have much more left to do.”
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