Feb. 03, 2026
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Brian Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana) issued this statement following the governor’s budget address today:
“As the representative of beautiful Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, I am all too familiar with the movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ It’s about a man who continues to experience the same things over and over again. After today’s address by Gov. Josh Shapiro, I’m feeling like Phil Connors.
“The governor wants to spend more than $53 billion, an increase of more than 5% over the current spending plan. To fund this extra $2.7 billion in spending, the governor says we need to legalize recreational marijuana, increase the minimum wage and set a tax on skill games.
“Even if I were okay with these things, that still wouldn’t be enough. After all of these asks, the governor would also need to raid the Rainy Day Fund to the tune of over $4.5 billion. That’s almost 60% of our emergency reserves. Just six years removed from the pandemic, I would think our governor should realize how crucial that fund can be.
“It’s past time we break this cycle of irresponsible spending. The General Assembly and the governor need to focus on providing a solid foundation for economic growth, then step back and let businesses drive us forward. Constantly growing the government won’t fix our problems.
“Fortunately for the Commonwealth, this is the start of a long process to get to a final budget plan. That’s a good thing, because it’s going to take a lot of work to get this plan to a place that Pennsylvanians can afford.”
Representative Brian Smith
66th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jake Gillespie
717.772.9834
www.RepSmith.com/ Facebook.com/RepBrianSmith