Jul. 07, 2022
HARRISBURG – Following House passage of the 2022-23 Pennsylvania state budget, Rep. Milou Mackenzie (R-Lehigh/Montgomery/Northampton) provided the following statement commending the record-high funding for PreK-12 education.
“Investing in our children’s education and future remained a top focus and priority as we worked through creating this budget,” said Mackenzie. “I am proud to say that we were able to invest a record high $15 billion into our PreK-12 education. Improving our state’s education system is a core goal of mine and many other legislators. It is a true success to see our Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars allocated to such an important and invaluable cause… our children’s education, the future of our Commonwealth.”
The 2022-23 state budget:
• Increases Basic Education Funding by $525 million to $7 billion.
• Increases Early Childhood Education Funding by $72 million to $390.53 million.
• Increases Special Education Funding by $100 million to $1.3 billion.
• Invests in a School Mental Health Initiative at $100 million.
• In total, this budget sets a record high $15 billion investment in PreK-12 education.
“This record investment in public education should allow school districts to keep property taxes low and certainly should guard against increases this year,” Mackenzie added.
In addition to record education funding, this year’s state budget is providing relief for vulnerable Pennsylvanians and job creators, large and small. Small business tax relief will help smaller job creators as they continue recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding expense deductions to help and encourage businesses to buy equipment and invest and grow in Pennsylvania. Additionally, small businesses will be allowed to defer or carry forward tax liabilities on gains from similar property exchanges – as allowed in 49 other states.
The 2022-23 state budget also will pay back more than $2 billion worth of debt previously incurred, including:
• $1.7 billion to bring Medicaid payments to timely payments.
• $350 million repaid to the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund.
• Approximately $42 million to pay off outstanding debt in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, saving small businesses from a tax increase.
The foundation for Pennsylvania’s state government is to pass a balanced budget each year with the approval of the House, Senate and ultimately the governor. This year’s $42.8 billion spending plan allocates money to keep the state fully operational which includes funding corrections, county governments, education, health and human services and the judiciary, to name a few.
Additional information concerning the 2022-23 state budget can be found by visiting
pahousegop.com/statebudget.
Representative Milou Mackenzie
131st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Katie Park
717.885.3846
kpark@pahousegop.com
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