Westmoreland Review

On July 25, 2024, Representative Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland) announced her decision to vote against the 2024-25 state budget. Cooper cited concerns over increased spending and potential tax hikes as primary reasons for her opposition.

"The main reasons behind my decision are two-fold; it is a significant increase in spending compared to the previous year, and the potential for a tax increase likely to result from spending down more than half of the General Fund surplus," she stated.

Despite recognizing increases in funding for critical areas such as education and road maintenance, Cooper emphasized fiscal responsibility. "The new budget spends almost 6% more than last year, which raises questions about fiscal responsibility and prudence," she said.

Cooper noted that while Pennsylvania taxpayers have had to make difficult financial decisions due to inflation, elected officials should similarly scrutinize state expenditures. She pointed out that upon taking office in January 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro inherited an $8.1 billion General Fund surplus, which will decrease to $3.5 billion following this budget's passage.

"Worse yet, the Independent Fiscal Office issued a report projecting more than a $3 billion deficit next year and a $4.5 billion deficit in 2025-26," Cooper added.

She expressed support for using the General Fund surplus responsibly but criticized House Democrat leaders for not considering a Senate-passed bill aimed at reducing Pennsylvanians' overall tax burden.

In other news, Act 70 of 2024 has established the PA VetConnect program under state law, set to take effect in mid-September. Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), PA VetConnect aims to connect veterans with necessary resources.

Additionally, PennDOT is seeking workers for its winter maintenance program starting from September through April. Positions available include CDL equipment operators, mechanics, dispatchers, tradesman helpers, and semi-skilled laborers with hourly pay ranging from $16.04 to $27.75.

Applications can be submitted via www.employment.pa.gov under the PennDOT Winter Maintenance Program posting.