Governor Tom Wolf is asking for a big increase in public education funding that is tied to a personal income tax increase.
Wolf unveiled his budget plan yesterday and in it included nearly $2 billion more for public schools.
Wolf said that the money would come from increasing the personal income tax rate to 4.49 percent, which is up from its current 3.07 percent level.
It would not impact all taxpayers however, with Wolf saying the top one-third of taxpayers would pay more.
Wolf says he’s expects disagreements, but wants to work to get a budget by the summer.
“We recognize in a democracy, we’re sent here by people to do certain things. And one of them is not to engage in sterile debates, where we’re just pointing fingers and throwing stones,” Wolf said. “But in the end, we all need to recognize that we have to come together and that we’re going to have to have a budget by June 30th.”
This budget proposal would have to pass through Republican-led House and Senate; which opposes the tax hike.
Currently, public schools receive $6.8 billion from the state.