Staats Highlights Fiscal Responsibility, Education Investments, and Energy Relief in Budget Agreement
HARRISBURG – Rep. Craig Staats (R-Bucks) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the fiscal year 2025-26 state budget:
“This year’s budget came together later than it should, but the final agreement reflects several meaningful priorities achieved for Pennsylvania families and taxpayers. It brought down the overall spend number by $1.4 billion from the governor’s original proposal, protects the Rainy Day Fund, and avoids new or higher taxes on working families.
“The plan takes important steps to make Pennsylvania more competitive by maintaining scheduled corporate tax rate reductions and advancing permitting reforms that will help employers invest, grow and create jobs in our Commonwealth. It also withdraws Pennsylvania from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, ending an energy tax that would have raised electricity costs for residents and slowed new development across our state.
“The budget makes new investments in education, including a $50 million expansion of tax credit scholarships for low-income students. That expansion will help thousands of families choose the best educational setting for their children while maintaining strong support for public schools.
“It also includes responsible human services reforms that target waste and strengthen integrity within Medicaid and SNAP programs. By requiring regular eligibility checks and cross-referencing records, we can protect benefits for those who truly need them while reducing fraud and unnecessary spending.
“Most importantly, this budget preserves Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund and uses existing balances and unspent allocations to close gaps without raising taxes. That’s good fiscal stewardship and a clear sign of progress compared to where we started earlier this year.
“While I remain concerned about the overall growth in spending and the state’s long-term structural deficit, this agreement marks a step in the right direction. We must continue working to control costs, protect taxpayers and keep Pennsylvania on solid financial footing for the future.”