Wolf’s Plan Would Eliminate Funding for the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College
HARRISBURG – In an address to the General Assembly, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a $45.7 billion 2022-23 state budget that would increase General Fund spending by $4.5 billion, Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-49, said.
The new spending includes $2 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Including the expenditure of federal dollars returned to Pennsylvania during the pandemic, the governor’s budget represents a 10.9% increase in spending.
According to Senate Appropriations Committee budget projections, the governor’s plan will produce a $1.3 billion deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year and create an even bigger bill for Pennsylvania taxpayers to pay long after the governor leaves office: a $13 billion deficit by 2026-27.
“While I appreciate Gov. Tom Wolf’s spending plan for the coming fiscal year is only a proposal that will be the subject of discussion and negotiation during the next several months, I can’t believe a governor who sets himself up as a champion of education would eliminate the funding for an important higher education institution in northern Pennsylvania, which includes some of the poorest regions in the country.” said Sen. Laughlin. “Gov. Wolf zeroes out the funding of the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College (NPRC), an institution that offers a convenient, affordable and needed college opportunity for students throughout our northern Pennsylvania communities.”
“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,” Sen. Laughlin said.
The Senate will hold a series of public hearings in the coming weeks to review the spending plan and produce a more responsible budget proposal that funds essential services while shielding taxpayers from the consequences of reckless overspending.
Chart showing gap between Gov. Wolf’s budget projections and those of the Senate Appropriations Committee
Contacts:
Matt Azeles 717.787.8927