00:01 - Good afternoon.

00:04 - For the past three years we have stood with our governor Josh shapiro

00:09 - and we have responsibly

00:11 - managed taxpayer resources

00:14 - every single budget that has happened

00:17 - since twenty twenty three

00:19 - has reinvested in the most vulnerable of our communities

00:24 - many of us remember that

00:25 - the biggest takeaway from the governor shapiro's first budget

00:29 - was the fact that for the first time in almost twenty years

00:32 - seniors including those in yate

00:34 - darby cobbs creek hello neighbors

00:36 - were finally able to be eligible to get a

00:39 - property tax or rent rebate because we expanded

00:43 - the income eligibility you all remember that when.

00:47 - I said do you all remember that when.

00:50 - That's all we accomplished together in two thousand twenty three

00:53 - it was in twenty twenty four that we triple

00:56 - the dependent child care tax credit

01:00 - for those either caring for senior parents or

01:03 - those of you caring for our beautiful children

01:06 - you all remember that when.

01:08 - I said do you all remember that one

01:11 - and

01:12 - because of the delays that we won't focus on today it was just a couple of months ago

01:17 - that we were able to create the working Pennsylvania tax credit

01:22 - for

01:23 - nine hundred thousand.

01:26 - Throughout every corner of this commonwealth that we'll

01:28 - be getting for the first time one thousand new dollars

01:31 - back in their pockets as they file their taxes right now

01:35 - we also remember

01:37 - providing historic investments in public schools

01:40 - all across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania we remember that right.

01:45 - So we remember what we've been able to accomplish together and we recognize well what

01:49 - our governor laid out just in the last few minutes here in Harrisburg

01:53 - on the floor of the Pennsylvania house and joint session

01:57 - that we've got our sleeves rolled up and we've got more work to do.

02:03 - While we've been able to accomplish a few different things we know that there are

02:08 - still things left on the to do lists

02:10 - and while we're here in dauphin county i look

02:13 - to my former sister as my forever colleague

02:15 - state senator right here in dauphin county sen Patty Kim we still gotta finally

02:20 - raise the minimum wage while we still gotta do that.

02:27 - We still gotta make sure have Carol that this budget invests and fully fund

02:31 - our transit it's all across the commonwealth

02:34 - of Pennsylvania.

02:36 - We've got to also make sure that while there's so much chaos

02:40 - coming out of our Washington DC

02:43 - from this federal government

02:45 - every single Davis white house

02:47 - the republican controlled united states senate

02:50 - and the republican controlled united states house of representatives

02:54 - not only are they raising every call as we have from healthcare to groceries

02:59 - they're violating rights every single day

03:01 - but notwithstanding that chaos

03:04 - we here in Harrisburg are doing our jobs each and every day

03:08 - showing up for our neighbors

03:10 - governing responsibly working across the aisle because all the wins we remember today

03:15 - we accomplished i'm in a bipartisan way and let me borrow the governor's term

03:20 - we did it together

03:22 - and so while we've done so much together we recognize there's still a ways to go and

03:30 - we still have a lot that we must do

03:32 - and we all look forward to that bipartisan meeting the

03:35 - governor talked about tomorrow we're going to all be there

03:38 - so we can get started on this work early

03:40 - and with that

03:41 - i'm proud to pass the mic microphone to my good

03:43 - friend and big brother from allegheny county

03:46 - the good leader

03:47 - sen Jay costa.

03:49 - Thank you very much madam speaker and thank all my colleagues who are here this

03:54 - afternoon spending time with us to be able to talk about what

03:57 - the speaker talked about laying out

03:59 - some of the things that we have done

04:00 - working together

04:02 - and i want to applaud the governor for his comprehensive

04:04 - approach to telling the people of Pennsylvania

04:06 - and reminding the members on both sides of the of

04:08 - the things we've accomplished and we did together

04:10 - working with our house Democratic colleagues and we're very fortunate

04:13 - to have a Democratic caucus in the house and senate

04:15 - that worked so closely with our governor

04:17 - on these initiatives of Joanna just talked about

04:20 - to us those are important things we talked about the childcare independent their

04:23 - cash credit

04:24 - puts money in people's pockets

04:25 - the earned income tax credit this year putting

04:27 - money in people's pockets

04:29 - but we know there's more work can be done at joint and

04:30 - talked about you certainly talked about the minimum wage

04:33 - i will tell you from allegheny county transit is going

04:35 - to be a major issue as well as transportation funding

04:37 - making sure that we have the resources

04:39 - that are going to go into transit but also protect our roads and Bridges

04:42 - that's something we need to continue to work upon

04:44 - certainly the minimum wage is going to be one of those

04:46 - things it's really important that governor talked about

04:48 - with generate in excess of three hundred a million dollars

04:50 - in savings across this commonwealth

04:52 - those are the type of things we have to talk but

04:54 - raise that wage is going to be important

04:56 - but let me talk about a couple of initiatives on the other side that

04:59 - we haven't talked about.

05:00 - One of them is the governor's

05:01 - proposal which i'm excited about because it touches an area

05:04 - that we haven't really talked about a lot in this house

05:06 - and the senate and lately

05:07 - that relates to the governor's critical infrastructure fund

05:10 - one billion dollars over the next four years it's going to generate resources

05:13 - to be able to make investments

05:15 - in housing program

05:16 - building housing

05:17 - improving housing stocks

05:18 - in this commonwealth

05:19 - but also taking a look at infrastructure investments

05:21 - along those lines of critical infrastructure that we need

05:24 - not only making certain that we have the ability to make investments

05:27 - along those lines into

05:28 - energy production for example things of that nature and

05:31 - building upon the energy policy here in this commonwealth

05:33 - but also looking at what is going to be done our local communities

05:36 - if you look at the funding what they're talking

05:37 - about it's about making sure we make investments

05:40 - in municipal buildings that need to be rehab and things of that nature are school

05:43 - districts and so many other areas

05:44 - that's an investment because what it does

05:46 - it puts people to work

05:47 - and improves communities.

05:50 - Certainly the communities are sustainable going forward and provides people the

05:53 - opportunity to grow in the job skills that they have

05:55 - as i mentioned puts people to work

05:57 - there's also another provision

05:59 - that the governor talked about

06:00 - that is pa innovation to something that we work together as democrats created a

06:04 - number of years ago our former colleague John Blake

06:06 - was who the governor referenced by utilizing that program

06:09 - that back then generated eighty five million dollars for investments

06:12 - in biotech and other technology type initiatives

06:15 - that are then innovation to will do this we go forward that's another initiative that

06:18 - could generate up to one hundred million dollars along those lines

06:21 - these are the type of things that we need to do here in Pennsylvania

06:23 - that are important to us

06:25 - but we've got to get our republican colleagues to be in the room

06:27 - sit down across the table make sure they work

06:29 - with us to ensure that we get these things done

06:31 - and that's why we're going to continue to work on because we know

06:33 - we know that's the only way we get things done here so

06:35 - i'm probably be standing here with all my

06:37 - Democratic colleagues from the senate and the house

06:39 - and advancing with the governor talked about

06:41 - and appreciate him reminding us of the wonderful things important things that we have

06:44 - done for all the people Pennsylvania

06:46 - making

06:46 - things affordable for them

06:48 - along those lines

06:49 - so that was my honest interest use our good friend from Philadelphia

06:52 - the majority leader of the appropriations committee.

06:55 - Jordan Harris.

06:57 - That you know.

07:04 - Governor

07:05 - that was a really good speech today.

07:09 - I did have my

07:11 - tea and i had my snacks

07:13 - ready.

07:15 - For the speech today

07:17 - and i.

07:18 - Gotta tell you i

07:20 - have heard Josh shapiro speak many times.

07:23 - There was something different about today's speech.

07:27 - I.

07:30 - It is too expensive to live in Pennsylvania

07:33 - and what i saw today.

07:36 - Was a governor who has taken the time

07:39 - to listen

07:40 - to everyday Pennsylvania.

07:43 - What i saw today was a governor whose budget reflects

07:47 - the interactions that he's had

07:49 - with everyday Pennsylvania is

07:51 - from the

07:52 - schoolteacher

07:54 - that he meant

07:55 - to

07:56 - talking about

07:57 - brave men and women like the

07:59 - firefighter from

08:00 - allentown.

08:03 - You had a governor who gave a budget address

08:06 - that

08:06 - reflects

08:08 - what all of us as legislators

08:10 - are hearing from

08:12 - the people across this commonwealth and that

08:14 - is that it is too expensive to live.

08:18 - That is too expensive to afford a mortgage.

08:22 - In

08:22 - our commonwealth and quite honestly in our country that it's

08:25 - too expensive to pay rent and that

08:27 - childcare is

08:28 - too expensive and all of these things

08:31 - are just too expensive

08:33 - and what this budget does is it builds on the work that we've calais effectively done

08:40 - to make Pennsylvania

08:41 - more affordable

08:43 - for everyday

08:44 - working people.

08:46 - This budget talks about

08:48 - continuing all of the things that the speaker talked about

08:51 - the child independent tax credit

08:53 - the working Pennsylvania tax credit.

08:55 - Property tax rent rebate

08:57 - but it also talks about

08:59 - a billion dollar investment in infrastructure around housing here's the thing

09:04 - that is not

09:06 - a partisan issue.

09:08 - It is

09:09 - expensive to live in Philadelphia and build a house in Philadelphia

09:13 - as it is in erie county or allegheny county or Cameron county

09:17 - or

09:18 - Cambria county.

09:21 - We need infrastructure all over Pennsylvania

09:25 - and if we increase our housing stock

09:27 - then we will see a decrease in the price of housing.

09:32 - So we see the governor taking a step forward in making

09:35 - housing

09:36 - real and affordable for the people in Pennsylvania

09:40 - you also see the governor

09:41 - talking about continuing

09:43 - and what we've done in public education spending

09:46 - listen we have a commonwealth court ruling that says how

09:49 - we fund education in Pennsylvania is unconstitutional

09:51 - we've made two significant investments

09:54 - this budget would be the third significant investment

09:57 - in writing that wrong ship

09:59 - and what we've seen.

10:01 - As an William penn school district.

10:05 - Maybe a week or two ago

10:06 - and we've heard of the significant

10:09 - increases in gains that our young people

10:12 - are making inside the classroom

10:15 - when we've begun to do the significant investments

10:18 - in them.

10:20 - This budget

10:22 - actually does with the federal government should be doing.

10:26 - This budget isn't about

10:28 - you know

10:29 - the partisan back and forth

10:31 - this budget is about governing

10:34 - and here's what I've recognized when i talked to the people of Pennsylvania.

10:38 - They don't want to hear democrat and republican any more.

10:42 - They want to hear that people

10:44 - in government are listening to them

10:46 - and getting things done that benefits them every single day.

10:51 - People like to get

10:53 - caught up in the political back and forth

10:55 - but that mother who's trying to take care of her kids doesn't care.

11:00 - The father thinking about

11:01 - paying for

11:03 - the electric bill and the gas bill

11:05 - they don't really care if you're

11:07 - liberal conservative moderate democrat or republican

11:10 - they want a government that works

11:13 - and what we see happening

11:15 - at the federal level is a government that's not working

11:19 - and so i'm proud of the governor today

11:22 - because he put forth a budget

11:24 - that

11:25 - works for Pennsylvania

11:27 - and protects

11:28 - Pennsylvania

11:29 - and gives the people of Pennsylvania reassurance that

11:32 - regardless of all of the other things that are going on

11:36 - that this commonwealth

11:38 - vs legislators vs leaders

11:41 - are invested

11:43 - in you

11:44 - and making Pennsylvania and our government

11:46 - work for the people

11:49 - that's what this budget address

11:51 - was about

11:53 - and the last thing I'll say

11:54 - that i really enjoyed hearing.

11:58 - Time is out for excuses.

12:03 - If you don't like this proposal

12:06 - fi.

12:07 - Show us yours.

12:10 - Because.

12:11 - The people don't want to hear what you don't like.

12:14 - That people don't want to hear what should not in favor of

12:17 - they want to hear what you're going to do.

12:20 - Though i look forward to getting to work

12:29 - with all of my colleagues

12:31 - and crafting

12:32 - a budget and

12:33 - moving forward with our governor's budget proposal.

12:37 - For this year but.

12:39 - Don't let people.

12:41 - Tell you why we can't afford this.

12:45 - Because when they say they can't afford i want you to ask them a simple question.

12:49 - What are you gonna cut.

12:52 - Is it going to be the money that goes to the department of human services that take

12:55 - care of the most vulnerable or are we going to backtrack on what we're doing

12:58 - for public education.

13:01 - What we are going to.

13:03 - That's the question we have to answer

13:05 - and with that I'll turn it over to my

13:06 - colleague from the

13:08 - other part of Philadelphia

13:10 - even though his mother is from southall he represents west Philly

13:14 - but his mother is from south Philadelphia

13:17 - my good friend minority chairman of the appropriations committee

13:20 - then the senate

13:21 - sen Vincent Hughes.

13:23 - Thirty six sixteen ellsworth street to be exact in case you didn't know

13:31 - alright let's make

13:31 - this real plain.

13:33 - There are no tax increases in this budget

13:36 - because you gotta you gotta

13:37 - you gotta you gotta say it

13:39 - on the front end

13:41 - cause you know

13:42 - president Obama said don't fall for the okie dope

13:44 - you know because you know that's what they're going to say

13:47 - you

13:47 - who try to claim his tax increases that the

13:49 - Republicans are

13:50 - there are no tax increases

13:52 - consist that

13:53 - later Bradford what the deal has been for years now that's right

13:56 - no tax increases okay

13:59 - and

13:59 - then they're going to say they're going to say

14:02 - whether it's structural deficit sit in the

14:04 - sky has fallen and

14:06 - you know they're not dealing with that and all of that will you know what.

14:10 - If the Republicans were so concerned about net structural deficit.

14:15 - That structural deficit.

14:17 - At his math.

14:20 - Chairman errors.

14:21 - In the last fifty years.

14:24 - Republicans have control the senate

14:27 - forty six years.

14:31 - And in those forty six years

14:33 - they had seventeen years with a republican governor.

14:37 - And they didn't deal with that issue

14:39 - when they had the power madam speaker

14:42 - they had the power

14:43 - they didn't deal with that issue

14:45 - so i'm not sure

14:48 - i'm not sure

14:49 - okay

14:50 - i'm not sure what they were doing but if it was so important to them

14:54 - why didn't they deal with it

14:56 - because it's not important to them

14:57 - because as chairman Harris

14:59 - said

15:00 - you know in this work we're in

15:02 - all alright you got to put a document on the table

15:05 - you gotta say what your priorities are

15:08 - alright because you know

15:09 - reverend always tells us that you know

15:11 - a budget is a moral document

15:14 - okay

15:14 - and so if they want to

15:16 - cut.

15:18 - Their way to

15:19 - balance.

15:21 - Okay

15:21 - they want to cut let's see what it is that they want to cut as chairman as to say

15:26 - alright

15:26 - what we know is this.

15:28 - What we know

15:30 - is this and it's very plain and it's very simple

15:33 - the governor outlined a record of progress

15:37 - and his a record we need to be in the business of building upon.

15:41 - Alright he he he.

15:44 - Even in the most difficult times over this

15:47 - this this

15:47 - law

15:48 - this this budget process that we just got

15:51 - finished and we're back here on another one alright

15:54 - that we just got finished

15:55 - we watched

15:57 - as they try tried to force him and us

16:00 - away from the education spend

16:03 - you know the one that the judge said you had to fix and

16:06 - we try to listen to judges appear in Harrisburg alright

16:09 - you know

16:10 - travel isn't what they got to say alright.

16:14 - They tried to snatch that money away they tried to

16:18 - apply against.

16:20 - What the judge said to fix the education

16:23 - funding the unconstitutional education funding

16:25 - the inadequate education funding

16:27 - we watched him stand strong

16:30 - buttress

16:31 - by.

16:33 - The house democrats buttressed by the senate democrats we tried

16:37 - they tried to

16:38 - get him to force out of that funding commitment

16:41 - and to do other kinds of

16:42 - crazy things

16:44 - and he gave us

16:45 - his his his commitment

16:48 - and he held to his commitment

16:49 - and it came through

16:51 - with a

16:51 - credible document.

16:53 - We need to build upon that and what the governor has providers

16:56 - today is a way to launch

16:59 - from good work

17:01 - to even greater work

17:02 - alright

17:03 - the billion dollar

17:05 - new investment built on

17:07 - everything else we talked about could be game changing

17:10 - for community

17:11 - all across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania oh

17:14 - and i'm glad that we're meeting tomorrow.

17:18 - We begin negotiations

17:20 - tomorrow

17:20 - not after

17:21 - the budget hearings okay not after appropriate

17:24 - we begin tomorrow

17:26 - to have the conversation to get

17:28 - this

17:29 - thing done no more excuses June thirtieth is a real time

17:33 - that this this all can be achieved if

17:35 - we can get this done by June thirty

17:38 - and do great work for the people of Pennsylvania

17:41 - and damn it we can raise the minimum wage while at.

17:49 - Governor has led us and putting people first

17:52 - let's keep that mission going for

17:54 - and without any further ado our leader.

17:58 - The one and only.

18:00 - This is the build that Matt is doing the build of the one and only

18:03 - camera man no baloney my friend from Montgomery county

18:06 - had Bradford leader Matt Bradford

18:08 - bafta thank you i heard I've heard some

18:14 - very good

18:15 - speech of fires as our former

18:16 - leader used to say so i will just dispense with that and

18:19 - ask if there is any questions.

18:22 - You go.

18:24 - This way.

18:25 - If you go through.

18:28 - Go ahead sir.

18:34 - So obviously the governor has put a proposal in front of us that near five if we were

18:38 - to implement this budget in year five we'd

18:40 - have one billion dollars still in the reserve

18:43 - listen the reality is

18:45 - that every budget is built on the budget before it

18:47 - we've built up surpluses we need to return some of that money to the commonwealth

18:51 - but having said that this is a balanced budget

18:53 - is the budget that Pennsylvania can afford.

18:58 - Keith.

19:05 - Well obviously the house democrats have shown a path

19:08 - on marijuana

19:09 - and we stand ready for the senate who three years ago promised us a skill games bill

19:13 - we're ready to pass that tomorrow but our senate has to show the ability

19:17 - yeah listen

19:18 - budgets are about choices but it's also about the actions of the other chamber

19:22 - at some point someone needs to start asking the senate real questions about

19:26 - what they can do and what they can pass

19:28 - the governor was very clear about the challenges in front of this

19:31 - commonwealth

19:32 - and very clear

19:33 - we can do these things and we can do it in a balanced way

19:36 - we've cut taxes and i would also say this

19:39 - in this budget this year

19:40 - we're planning to cut corporate taxes i think that's the right decision

19:44 - or corporate taxes were too high.

19:47 - Our republican friends talk about the structural deficit and we do have a

19:50 - balance-sheet challenge in the out years

19:52 - it's largely driven

19:53 - in a lot of red counties that are continuing to contract in terms of population

19:57 - we need to grow this economy

19:59 - part of growing this economy is cutting the n o l

20:01 - it's about dealing with the corporate net income tax that was too high

20:04 - we've made out your investments to grow this echo.

20:08 - They need to have

20:09 - faith in their own theory

20:11 - that that will grow this economy

20:13 - but they have an obligation to come forward on marijuana on skill games

20:17 - Joe pittman said very clearly that skill games as a public safety issue he needs

20:22 - to put up twenty five votes

20:24 - and if he can't

20:25 - i know someone who's got twenty three ready to go.

20:28 - Go.

20:29 - Good.

20:46 - I would argue it's the same point that we when we subscribed to republican theory

20:49 - about we need to cut taxes in the out years

20:52 - we also need to grow this economy for the same reason we need to cut taxes

20:55 - we need to make these type of investment

20:57 - these are about growing the economy

20:59 - the sites plan you heard the governor talked about a three

21:01 - and a half billion dollar investment in the lehigh valley

21:04 - that's partially funded

21:05 - because of sigh ets money

21:07 - when this

21:08 - in a bipartisan way house democrats and senate Republicans

21:11 - and let me mention the by the minority parties in both caucus as both chambers

21:15 - work together

21:16 - we borrowed that money to make sure that we could

21:18 - grow this economy it is already bearing fruit

21:21 - those are the type of out your investments we need to make to grow this economy

21:24 - don't talk about a structural deficit you have no plan to address it

21:27 - we have a demographics problem in this commonwealth we've known that for some time

21:32 - that's why we need to invest in education make

21:34 - sure those kids stay here come here invest here

21:37 - it's why we need to cut our corporate net income tax to put a big sign out

21:40 - the Pennsylvania is ready for business

21:41 - that's what the governor is talking about about

21:43 - the progress we've made in the last four years

21:45 - so we don't want to hear the hotpot Chrissy that we can't make out your investments

21:48 - but we can cut out your taxes for businesses.

22:04 - So we have an unbelievably popular governor

22:07 - and the people of Pennsylvania are about to have their word being said

22:10 - about what they think about a senate that is largely stood in obstruction

22:13 - in many of these policies

22:15 - do people agree with the governor

22:17 - on his economic policy on his education policy

22:20 - i would argue the polls indicate that we have a very poor killer governor

22:23 - they've tried to obstruct him and his numbers only got more popular

22:26 - now do they want to run one try to get run over by that governor

22:29 - my suggestion is it would be the political imperative

22:32 - regardless of the policy implications that they start working

22:36 - with

22:37 - with this governor

22:38 - to pass things

22:39 - that the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the people of this commonwealth

22:41 - largely are are in complete agreement with.

22:55 - So the governor bailed out the legislature again on the issue of transit last year

22:59 - and got us a two year bridge which will have us dealing with this issue

23:02 - immediately after the next election

23:04 - we don't have to deal with it in this budget

23:06 - but i will say this.

23:08 - Leader pitman inextricably linked

23:11 - the issue of

23:12 - transit

23:13 - and skill games

23:14 - and he told us he would send us a skill games bill

23:17 - and they say they support transit

23:18 - you can't be pro business

23:20 - you can't be pro worker and you can't be

23:22 - pro economic growth to deal with that structural deficit

23:25 - if you're not going to support mass transit.

23:27 - Now.

23:29 - Your question in terms of

23:31 - what will the senate do differently this time

23:34 - election years have a

23:35 - ability to let people focus and everyone knows right now.

23:39 - That they're on the wrong side

23:41 - and if i represented a suburban Philadelphia district

23:44 - or any district in Philadelphia

23:46 - i'd have a hard time explaining your decision to fun septa

23:50 - and i think it's pretty damn true in Atlanta

23:52 - up in.

23:53 - Up in our friends in the lehigh valley i think it's also pretty true

23:56 - in allegheny county

23:58 - these folks have toiled and plate

24:00 - now the people are going to have their say on this

24:03 - do you support this type of obstruction do you support

24:05 - staying in the way of funding mass transit systems in this commonwealth

24:09 - i i think the answer is decidedly not.

24:21 - This is

24:21 - it.

24:24 - I think it's going to incentivize and i think it's going to incentivize the right

24:27 - kind of data center growth responsible data center growth listen

24:30 - data centers are coming

24:31 - and let's be honest we need to tell people this

24:33 - we're going to need data centers

24:35 - the question is what kind of data centers

24:38 - i look at my friend from the lehigh valley.

24:41 - They've got way too many warehouse houses though

24:43 - and done the wrong way

24:44 - we need to make sure we're responsible and respectful to local communities

24:48 - these need to be an environmentally right aesthetically right

24:51 - and let me tell you something a time where people

24:53 - are getting energy bills that are too damn high

24:56 - people need to make sure that it does not drive up energy costs

24:59 - for regular people.

25:01 - These companies

25:02 - multi billion dollar

25:04 - like.

25:05 - Like quite literally the biggest corporations in the world

25:08 - if they're going to come to Pennsylvania

25:10 - they are going to have to bring their energy

25:11 - and there are going to have to pay for it

25:13 - and we're not going to subsidize it

25:15 - with the heating bills

25:16 - of our parents and our grandparents

25:18 - that is just bad public policy and we will not be a party to that.

25:22 - Think those guys say no more questions I've got one more question.

25:37 - Not a thing let me tell you something

25:40 - this governor speaks for house democrats and senate democrats everyday

25:43 - he's an amazing amazing leader

25:45 - we are blessed to have him

25:47 - we are blessed to recognize that we don't always

25:49 - have the same mind and we don't always come down on the same place

25:53 - but we recognize what real leadership looks like

25:55 - he's an amazing governor he he gave an amazing speech today

25:58 - and we're going to be proud to stand with him

26:00 - not just

26:01 - not just in this budget but in the days and weeks after

26:04 - thank you so much.

26:16 - I.

26:27 - And.