(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Not all legislators were on board with Governor Shapiro’s plans for the 2024-25 budget, as several local Republican leaders made their opinions known following Tuesday’s address.

Beaver County state representative Josh Kail claimed that Shapiro was “all talk, and no action” and added that “House Republicans are no longer waiting around for Gov. Shapiro”, claiming that their party is already establishing proper legislation.

“Students are trapped in failing schools. Energy costs are at risk of skyrocketing. Businesses are desperate for an improved tax climate. Permitting reform is well overdue,” Kail added. As much as the people of Pennsylvania deserve cohesion among government officials, to praise the governor’s budget proposal would be an endorsement of deception. The governor has no clothes.”

State Representative Aaron Bernstine of Lawrence County went a step further, calling the budget proposal “nothing more than an extreme liberal wish list that will cost hardworking taxpayers a fortune.” Bernstine called out Shapiro’s request as a means of “wasteful spending” in Harrisburg.

“His plan is a copy-paste version of the Bidenomics that are destroying our economy. From Philadelphia mass transit bailouts to doubling the minimum wage, Gov. Shapiro wants Pennsylvania to be just like California, which is where his campaign donations originate,” Bernstine added.

Fellow Lawrence County State Representative Marla Brown joined Kail and Bernstine in dissension, stating that when it comes to the budget, Pennsylvania “families cannot afford it”.

The budget negotiations begin in earnest on February 20.