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Budget Address Week Recap: Gov. Shapiro Delivers First Proposal On Tuesday, Governor Shapiro delivered his first budget address before a newly controlled Democratic House of Representatives and a Senate that remains firmly with a Republican majority. Offering a budget that attempts to strike a bipartisan tone, his 2023-24 proposal makes strategic, measured investments against broader themes of the economy and workforce. PPC is pleased with these targeted investments, particularly in career and technical education, pre-k, school nutrition, and children’s mental health. | |
In other areas, PPC is working with campaign partners to continue to elevate the need to address chronic workforce issues in the child care sector. The Early Learning Pennsylvania coalition issued a press release in response to the budget earlier this week. While the package does not address the child care workforce issue, Governor Shapiro is proposing an increase to the minimum wage of $15/hour, which the previous administration tried and failed to implement. We will see if this go-around succeeds, but addressing workforce issues—including shortages and wages—will be at the forefront of budget conversations. The proposal also contains a $2,500 tax credit for nurses, police officers and teachers to recruit and retain professionals in those fields. It is expected other sectors will quickly try and join this initiative. Overall, PPC believes the budget proposal includes many achievable investments. We look forward to working with our partners in the legislature on both sides of the aisle to ensure they are included in the final budget due by June 30th. Look for updates in future newsletters as budget negotiations progress. | |
