Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Borowski encouraged by key components of Gov. Shapiro’s proposed budget <

Borowski encouraged by key components of Gov. Shapiro’s proposed budget

HARRISBURG, Feb. 4 –State Rep. Lisa Borowski offered the following statement after hearing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address today before the state legislature. 

“I was excited to hear Governor Shapiro use his budget address to call for action on my legislation to protect Pennsylvania’s hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors’ offices from predatory practices by private equity firms.

“Too many communities have been devastated by sudden hospital closures, leaving patients, workers, and first responders scrambling to fill the gaps. Your ability to see the type of doctor you need, when you need to, should not depend on a private equity firm’s profit scheme. We cannot allow them to continue treating our health as a corporate asset that can be bought, drained for profit, and abandoned at our expense when they decide it’s no longer reaping the desired profit.

“Governor Shapiro illustrated it well when he said private equity firms are treating Pennsylvania like a piggy bank they can empty out and then smash on our floor.

“If we continue on the path we’re on now, more pregnant women are going to find themselves hours away from a hospital with an OB-GYN department. More parents of children diagnosed with pediatric cancer will have to add to the new chaos in their lives by uprooting their families to be closer to treatment.

“The governor was very clear when he said, ‘Pass the bills. Put them on my desk and stop letting private equity take advantage of our healthcare system and our fellow Pennsylvanians.’

“This is a budget proposal I can stand behind, because it calls for us to stand up for patients and providers. It’s our job to make sure Pennsylvania’s healthcare system prioritizes your wellness – not private equity.” 

Shapiro was referring to Borowski’s legislation introduced in May 2024 that would require advanced notification of proposed hospital and health system sales, mergers, and acquisitions to the state Attorney General, granting the office stronger oversight to review them carefully with the community’s best interest at the forefront.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 114-88 in July, but Senate Republican Leadership chose not to have the chamber consider it. Borowski has begun the process to re-introduce the measure for the current legislative session. She also intends to propose a measure to put a temporary moratorium on hospital acquisitions by for-profit entities while the Joint State Government Commission studies for-profit hospital and health system ownership.

“Our success and failures from the last session have made me more confident than ever that bipartisanship is possible in this legislature, even across our diverse set of beliefs and priorities,” Borowski said, adding that she made it a point to join several initiatives that embrace bipartisanship. That includes the Pennsylvania Competitiveness Caucus, Firefighters & Emergency Services Caucus (where she serves as co-chair along with an additional Democrat and two Republicans), and Emerging Technologies Caucus.

Borowski also voiced support for several other focuses of Shapiro’s proposed budget that align with her legislative priorities:

Older adults: Shapiro called on the legislature to control costs for seniors by expanding Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council transparency programs and investing in Area Agencies on Aging.

“I’m in nursing homes and senior centers all the time to listen to our older neighbors and make sure they know about the state programs available to help them save their money and energy. They’ve shown me that Area Agencies on Aging are a crucial part of the care we owe to Pennsylvania’s seniors,” Borowski said.

Cyber charter reform: In the budget proposal Shapiro shared online, he proposes setting a statewide base cyber tuition rate of $8,000 per student per year, ensuring costs align with the actual expenses of providing an online education. This reform is estimated to save school districts $378 million annually.

Attainable housing: Looking to build on the success of last session’s expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, Shapiro proposed investing $10 million to help first-time home buyers cover closing costs, and staffing up the State Planning Board so it can help communities identify and get rid of red tape to be able to build attainable housing more quickly.  

Childcare provider support: Too many young parents are forced to exit the workforce because they can’t find affordable childcare. Last session House Democrats succeeded in taking steps to make childcare more affordable, but another facet of the problem persists: Pennsylvania has 3,000 unfilled jobs in childcare, but everybody – community organizations, chambers of commerce, leaders of both parties – agree that the jobs aren’t getting filled because they don’t offer a living wage or benefits. Too many young parents are forced to exit the workforce because they can’t find affordable childcare. Boosting funding to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation will get Pennsylvania started down the right path, Borowski said.

Firefighter and fire company support: Shapiro called for three major steps to prioritize their needs: 1) Create a new, competitive funding stream of $30 million in grants in addition to the annual appropriations for fire companies, so they can purchase equipment, recruit and retain firefighters, and meet their unique needs. 2) Incentivize cooperation and create a pilot program to help municipal fire companies work together. 3) Cover annual cancer screenings for firefighters.

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