Mar. 16, 2016
Legislation would release funding for schools, critical access hospitals, agriculture
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter) is urging the governor to sign into law a bill that would release additional funding to supplement the 2015-16 state budget that had critical funding cut by the governor before being partially signed into law in December. Following the vote on
House Bill 1801, Baker issued the following statement:
“The bill we passed today would allocate almost $6 billion for basic education to prevent any school district in the state from having to shut its doors due to a lack of state support. It also would give community colleges and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities, such as Mansfield, a 5 percent increase in funding over what they received in 2014-15.
“In additional to education, funding for agriculture to continue Penn State extension services and 4-H programming is included in the budget, along with allocations for other essential agriculture line items.
“For those of us in rural areas of the state, we have come to rely heavily on the services of critical access hospitals such as Troy Community Hospital in Bradford County and Charles Cole Hospital in Potter County. Funding for these facilities was slashed by the governor; however, House Bill 1801 restores the funding needed by these institutions to continue their health care services to those most in need.
“We have been continuously working to resolve the outstanding budget items that the governor vetoed from the budget that was partially signed into law last year, and it is my hope that the governor now realizes the urgency for this funding and signs House Bill 1801 into law.”
For more information on the March supplemental budget for 2015-16, go to
pahousegop.com/201516budget.aspx.
Representative Matthew Baker
68th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
RepBaker.com /
Facebook.com/RepBaker