HARRISBURG, February 6, 2018 — State Senator Lisa M. Boscola today provided the following statement in response to Gov. Tom Wolf’s $32.9 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2018-19: 

“I’m pleased that the budget holds the line on broad-based taxes while making key investments in education, workforce development and business expansion. 

“Ranging from investments in training and apprenticeship programs to proposals that would shrink and make government more efficient, many of the governor’s priorities mirror issues I have fought for in the Senate. 

“His call to establish a gas drilling severance tax to help balance the budget makes sense. However, a portion of those dollars must be dedicated to communities where our state’s growing network of pipelines are having an impact. 

“I also favor the savings the state should realize through streamlining government services, consolidating agencies and minimizing spending on prisons. Saving money is always preferential to raising taxes. 

“Finally, I hope we can find a bipartisan solution to minimize the impact of the new federal tax law that capped state and local tax deductions. This new tax law could cost many Pennsylvania taxpayers thousands of dollars a year. It’s important to emphasize that our state is one of the biggest beneficiaries of these tax deductions in the nation.” 

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