For the last seven years, I’ve been on the frontlines of some of the biggest policy fights in Pennsylvania. In that time, I’ve seen too many good policy priorities wither away without debates or votes. I’ve seen too many kids and communities underfunded, and too many mistruths and excuses for inaction.
This year’s budget antics by Pennsylvania Senate Republican majority are some of the worst we’ve seen since they tried to use our tax dollars to overturn the 2020 election.
As the leader of the New Pennsylvania Project, a voting rights organization focused on empowering new voters in ignored communities to engage in the democratic process. Nothing makes that work more challenging than when leaders ignore communities’ real problems and undermine confidence in our government.
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The PA Senate Republican majority consists of people who have held power for nearly 30 years straight, and their greatest accomplishments seem to be misleading voters and hindering Pennsylvania’s progress. For weeks, they had been misleading Pennsylvanians by claiming the state budget couldn’t use surplus funding for investments in schools, housing, and vital services for families and communities. They said that money was their money, and it couldn’t go to help us. Last week, Senate Republicans completely flipped their position and passed an unserious plan that uses $3 billion in surplus funding. Their plan diverts money from funding for public schools and services to the wealthiest Pennsylvanians. That’s obscene.
Our public school communities have been crying out for fair funding for decades. Now, after a historic victory in our state courts, the legislature is on the hook for beginning to fix our unconstitutional public school funding system. The decision to use surplus funding for the wealthy, instead of our kids, is a slap in the face to every public school student, teacher, and parent.
This should be no surprise as Senate Republicans have proven themselves untrustworthy in the past: from lying about our elections and our votes in 2020 to the constant lies and attacks on teachers, union workers, young voters, voters of color, the working poor, and struggling Pennsylvanians.
Their exploits are strategically unsound. There should be no debate whether Pennsylvania has the funds to invest in our futures and our families.
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The choice now is whether the Senate Republicans will take responsibility for problems they’ve created and made worse during their 30 years in power – or whether they’ll deliver another gross giveaway to their rich and powerful backers.
This is not just a political issue, it’s personal to every Pennsylvanian. We deserve leaders who are straight with us and focus on improving our lives.
Senate Republicans in Harrisburg are failing this basic test.
