Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Fleming responds to Shapiro’s 2025 budget address

Fleming responds to Shapiro’s 2025 budget address

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    February 4, 2025 | 4:12 PM

HARRISBURG, Feb. 4 – State Rep. Justin Fleming, D-Dauphin, today issued the following statement in response to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address:

“I found that many of Gov. Shapiro’s proposals directly address current needs in the communities I represent.

“A great education is the surest way to invigorate communities and raise people up into the middle class, but historic inequality in our funding system left richer school districts better funded at the expense of poorer ones, creating a legacy of structural inequality. Though last year’s budget made headway in rectifying this imbalance, there’s still a lot of work to be done. This budget would deliver a needed $75 million increase in basic education and a $40 million increase in special education.

“We need to ensure that our schools are staffed with top-notch educators by filling the teacher pipeline with highly qualified candidates. I’m impressed by Gov. Shapiro’s plan to put more teachers in the classroom from pre-K to grade 12, by supporting student teachers and investing in professional development that will help our educators stay on the cutting edge of education.

“Governor Shapiro sees how working parents have been struggling to juggle work with the rising cost of childcare and how some parents have had to drop out of the workforce altogether, negatively impacting their careers, their families’ income and even Pennsylvania’s economic growth. The budget would help make childcare more affordable by building on last year’s Child Care Tax Credit through investing more than $50 million to help childcare centers hire and pay the best teachers.

“I wholeheartedly support Governor Shapiro’s understanding that taking care of your health includes mental health. His budget would invest an additional $60 million over three years across Pennsylvania’s counties so that each can do what’s best for their community based on their needs, $10 million to strengthen 988 crisis operations, and $5 million to maintain mental health crisis stabilization centers.

“I share the governor’s concern that we need to support our police and volunteer fire companies so they can keep our communities safe. The budget would put 432 more PA State Troopers on the road and expand the administration’s massively successful grant program by $30 million for grants for volunteer fire companies.

“One thing I would like to see in the budget is a cost of living adjustment for pre-Act 9 retirees.  This includes 40,000 educators and support professionals who haven’t had a COLA since 2002. These retired public servants average about 84 years old and are living on $20,000 a year pensions.”