July Newsflash
Stalemate in Harrisburg on Governor’s proposed education budget
After weeks of legislative wrangling, Pennsylvania is still far from a deal for increasing education funding and reducing property taxes.
Governor Ed Rendell has linked the need for tax reform and education funding and has threatened to veto any budget that does not include at least partial funding of his proposed preschool initiatives.
Organizations advocating an overhaul of Pennsylvania’s school funding system are continuing to lobby legislators to take action on proposals to provide state funds for pre-K, kindergarten, and small class size for young children.
Reluctant to raise the state income tax as proposed by the governor, both the Pennsylvania House and the Senate have gotten behind Rendell’s proposal for slot machines as a new source of revenue for the state. But the specifics of legalizing slots have been controversial, and legislators in the Senate object to several provisions in the more sweeping House proposal, which would put slots in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as well as at racetracks.
Many opponents in the legislature cite insufficient protections against fraud and corruption and the potential for casinos to spur increases in gambling addiction and personal bankruptcy across the state.
To date, the proposals to increase education funding approved in the Senate and House do not provide for any of the Governor’s proposed early childhood education initiatives and fall far short of the Governor’s proposals, which called for $1.5 billion in local property tax relief for school districts.
According to the Pennsylvania School Reform Network (PSRN), a nonprofit that advocates for public education reform statewide, Pennsylvania is one of just nine states that do not currently provide any pre-school program funding.
The state budget debate could well last until September even though by law it should have been approved by June 30.
Some public school advocates argue that relying more heavily upon gambling than personal income taxes to produce revenue to fund public education is an irresponsible choice.
Timothy Potts, director of PSRN, noted, "We seem to have forgotten the basic concept that broad-based public services ought to be funded through broad-based public revenues."
Shelly Yanoff, executive director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), a local child advocacy organization, said that PCCY would run phone banks to continue to pressure legislators to pass a bill that more closely resembles the Governor’s original proposal.
"This is the opportunity of a decade," said Yanoff, "It’s time for us to do it."
For more information on how to get involved contact:
Philadelphia Citizens for Children & Youth (215) 563-5848; www.pccy.org.
Good Schools Pennsylvania (215) 332-2700; www.goodschoolspa.org.