Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have voted overwhelmingly to pass a nearly $34 billion state budget for the next fiscal year.
The budget’s key elements consist of no new taxes or fee increases, and new spending of nearly $600 million- including a $160 million increase in basic education and a $250 million deposit in the state’s “rainy day” savings fund.
State Representative Tedd Nesbit, who represents a part of Butler County, said the budget isn’t perfect but it gets the job done without raising taxes.
“Overall, I am pleased with this budget proposal that we passed Tuesday,” State Rep. Nesbit said in a statement. “We have benefited from a good economy, and with the increased revenues coming in, we’ve been able to work together and pass a strong, responsible and bipartisan budget proposal that doesn’t include any broad-based tax increases.”
The House’s spending plan now moves to the state Senate for consideration. Pennsylvania’s new fiscal year begins July 1.