For the third consecutive year, Representative Jill Cooper of Westmoreland is proposing legislation to halt pay for state officials when a budget is not passed by July 1. Cooper’s initiative aims to hold members of the General Assembly and other officials accountable for failing to meet this fiscal deadline.
Cooper stated, “It’s the final day of the fiscal year, and Harrisburg is no closer to a budget agreement than we were four months ago. It is my belief that as of tonight, members of the General Assembly and other officials should be held accountable for failing to meet this important deadline.” She emphasized that delays in passing the budget threaten essential services such as public safety, education, and programs for seniors and special needs populations.
The annual budget process begins each February when the governor presents a plan during a joint session of both legislative chambers. Appropriations committees then review fund usage with state departments before drafting legislation on spending allocations. This year marks the 14th time in 21 years that Pennsylvania’s budget has been delayed.
In past instances, Cooper joined fellow legislators in voluntarily declining their salaries until a budget was approved. Her current proposal, House Bill 1682, seeks to formalize this practice by suspending compensation for the governor, lieutenant governor, and General Assembly members during any budget impasse.
Cooper remarked on the repeated delays: “Any logical and responsible person is looking at a process that begins in February and asks why the budget is always late. If this were a business setting, we would have been fired.” She called for lawmakers and administration officials to adhere to higher standards.
Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper
