Haddock pleased with budget focus on education, job creation, public safety
Rep. Jim Haddock February 5, 2025 | 4:22 PM
HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – State Rep. Jim Haddock said the 2025-26 state budget proposed Tuesday by Gov. Josh Shapiro addresses three issues that are important to the people he represents in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties – education, job creation and public safety.
“Building on last year’s historic investments in education across Pennsylvania, I was encouraged to hear the governor propose more than $500 million to address the inequitable way that school districts have been funded at the state level. This money will help to ensure that all kids have the same learning opportunities no matter where they live.
“The governor also suggested that we continue reforming the way that we pay for cyber charter schools and implementing those changes could save local property taxpayers more than $350 million,” Haddock said.
“On the job creation front, the governor spent time addressing the importance of funding workforce development programs that help people train for the jobs that are needed in Pennsylvania now and in the future.
“I was pleased to hear the governor propose putting more than 400 additional Pennsylvania State Troopers on the road by funding a new class of cadets.
“He also wants to build on the successful competitive grant program that helps volunteer fire companies and emergency services providers by adding $30 million to a new grant program for fire departments. Those grants have been extremely beneficial to the organizations that I work with in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
“This is just the first step in the budget process and there’s a lot of work to be done over the next few months so that we can get a good product that helps all Pennsylvanians.”