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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Jennifer L. Mann |
  
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Mann: state budget keeps Pa. moving forward
HARRISBURG, July 4 – A $28.2 billion budget passed today by the General Assembly will fund essential education, energy and economic development efforts in Pennsylvania without raising taxes, according to state Rep. Jennifer L. Mann, D-Lehigh.
"This budget funds important programs that Pennsylvania residents depend on," she said. Mann commented on a number of aspects of the 2008-09 spending plan:
On energy:
"Providing incentives to producers of biodiesel and ethanol will help us develop alternative sources of energy more quickly."
On education:
"In 10 years, Allentown School District has had more than a 255 percent increase in basic education funding.
"I was happy to see that the costing-out study was used as the basis for education funding in this year's budget. I was one of the architects behind the study, which emphatically showed the need to support state education funding so that students across the Commonwealth all have the tools they need to learn and succeed academically.
"This funding will allow the district to expand its facilities and employ more resources to raise student test scores.
"The continued increase in state education funding has enabled the district to keep taxes at the same level for the past three years."
On economic development:
"Expanding the Keystone Opportunities Zone program will encourage new businesses to set up shop in the Lehigh Valley."
On infrastructure:
"Our local roads and bridges will be repaired because of the budget money dedicated to improving the state's infrastructure."
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