Budget Impasse Pits Little Kids Against Big Natural Gas
What’s more important: restoring cuts to schools or protecting the natural gas industry? That’s the big debate in Harrisburg as the Governor and legislative leaders work to reach an agreement on a new state budget.
The Governor wants to increase funding for public schools and early childhood education by imposing a 5% tax on natural gas drilling that the Wolf Administration estimates will generate up to $1 billion in new revenue. House and Senate Republicans believe the tax is too high and claim it will harm the industry and jobs. The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry has been lobbying hard to stop the tax despite the fact that in every state where significant natural gas extraction is happening, a comparable tax is in place. Oddly, the Chamber is placing a higher priority on stopping this tax than ensuring our schools have the wherewithal to prepare the state’s future workforce. Their stance seems especially out of sync with the real needs of businesses. A recent report from the RAND Corporation found that if Pennsylvania closed gaps in student achievement, the state’s gross domestic product could grow by as much as $44 billion.
Some state legislators, including House Speaker Mike Turzai still have not budged on their opposition to a tax, even though it has broad support from lawmakers in both parties.
Yesterday, Bucks County Republican Representative Gene DiGirolamo issued his own budget proposal that calls for a 3.2% severance tax. He is not the first state lawmaker from the southeast to support this approach. Republican Senator Tom McGarrigle from Delaware County introduced a bill in March that called for a 4% severance tax that was co-sponsored by fellow southeastern Republican Senators Stewart Greenleaf, John Rafferty, Charles McIlhinney and Dominic Pileggi.
Voters also have made it clear that they favor a severance tax. A Mercyhurst poll issued last year found 70% of voters support a tax on natural gas.
The bottom line is more funding is needed to fill the cuts to education and a severance tax is one viable revenue option that has widespread public support. Click here to let your state legislators know your views on the need for school funding and new state revenues to make that possible.
How to Make Sure Every Child Born This Year Can Access High Quality Pre-K
About 140,000 children will be born in Pennsylvania this year. Sadly, a majority of those newborns will not be able to access high-quality pre-k when they reach preschool age unless the state legislature makes major new investments starting in this year’s budget.
The Pre-K for PA Campaign estimates it will take $400 million in additional state funding to increase access to pre-k for every at-risk child. The state legislature can take a big step forward by approving $120 million this year and a total of $280 million over the next three years to ensure a child born today can benefit from at least one year of high-quality pre-k before he or she heads off to kindergarten.
NOTE: Assumes 60 percent participation rate as some families will choose not to enroll.
Your phone calls count! Join the Pre-K for PA Phone Bank this Tuesday to call on our state legislators to support $120 million in new funding for pre-K in this year’s budget. Click here to sign up.
Medicare and Medicaid at 50
July 30th will mark the 50th birthday of the landmark Medicare and Medicaid programs. Thanks to the 1965 Social Security Amendments signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, millions of children across the nation benefit from Medicaid health coverage, including 1.2 million in Pennsylvania.
Medicaid also has long-term education benefits for children too, according to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research (see the infographic on the left).
To commemorate this important milestone, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will hold a panel discussion on the history, evolution and future of the programs on Thursday, July 30th from 10-11:30 am at the National Constitution Center. During the discussion you will hear from health experts, advocates and others, including PCCY Executive Director Donna Cooper. Click here to RSVP to this free event.