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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Mike Sturla |
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Sturla opposes GOP-approved budget
HARRISBURG, June 28 – State Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee, offered the following comments upon the House’s passage of the General Appropriations bill of the 2012-13 state budget, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Corbett.
“For the second year Republicans have failed the Commonwealth by supporting a budget that slashes programs for seniors, working Pennsylvanians and children, while granting tax breaks for multinational corporations.
“From the beginning the GOP spending plan pits Pennsylvanian against Pennsylvanian. Residents were told they had to choose between funding for their local schools or funding for human services, funding for the environment or funding for higher education, and those choices aren’t necessary.
“Republicans chose to shell out countless millions on a problematic new voter identification mandate, while institutionalizing cuts in funding for our schools. They chose to earmark a taxpayer handout for Royal Dutch Shell, while underfunding programs aiding veterans, the intellectually disabled and seniors in nursing homes. They chose to implement the smallest fee in the nation on drilling companies, leaving a billion dollars on the table annually, while ignoring our crumbling transportation infrastructure.
“Like a majority of Pennsylvanians I am disappointed by the GOP’s failure to address the issues important to them, and by their failure to implement policies that would put people back to work.”