Kail Supports Temporary Budget to Fund Education and Critical Services

HARRISBURG – Rep. Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington) issued the following statement after voting in favor of a temporary budget that would fund education and critical services while allowing for flexibility for the rest of the 2020-21 fiscal year:

“This budget would fully fund education from K-12, as well as higher education, for 12 months so our children can go back to school safely without any further interruption in their learning next school year.

“Just as important as our kids getting the education they need is the absence of any new taxes. With so many people out of work without support from the unemployment compensation system, there’s no way we could ask Pennsylvanians to pay more. We have to respect that they’re in a financial crisis because of the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has caused unknown financial losses at the state level, too. By creating a five-month budget and then a seven-month budget in the fall, we should have a better picture of the state’s financial situation.

“Later in the year, we should know what kind of support we’re going to receive from the federal government. Plus, since tax collection dates were changed to July and August, it’s impossible to have a sense of incoming revenue now. Creating a two-part budget allows us to move forward now and pivot later as needed.”