HARRISBURG — Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 $53.3 billion budget proposal:
“Our common starting point must be delivering a legitimately balanced budget on time. We fail Pennsylvania if any side digs in and forces another nonproductive stalemate.
“The governor once again marries big spending increases with proposed taxes he has failed to achieve in past years. Speculative revenues are never a good way to support continuing spending. It is hard to see where additional votes would come from, because the arguments for and against have not changed.
“A state spending increase of more than 5% is not going to sell with taxpayers who are demanding better results from existing funding. Nor is it going to set well with job creators already struggling to cope with worker shortages and other uncertainties.
“Lowering energy prices is a shared goal. This is going to require a combination of revamped policies, improving the grid to give customers more reliable choices, and leaving the door open for both traditional and alternative energy sources. With the demands of new development, energy production is not really an either-or choice. Competition is necessary if we want lower prices.
“We all understand the challenges and difficulties involved in advancing individual agendas when government is divided. I have introduced legislation to prevent a repeat of last year’s impasse, so that state dollars will continue to fund important needs, such as education and programs from seniors and vulnerable populations that depend on critical social services, while negotiations continue.”
CONTACT: Jennifer Wilson