York County News

Rep. Joe D’Orsie of Manchester has expressed his dissatisfaction with Governor Josh Shapiro's proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The plan outlines a $51.47 billion spending package, marking a 7.5% increase from the current fiscal period.

In a statement, Rep. D’Orsie criticized the proposal, saying, “I was hopeful that all the talk I’ve heard over the last year about making Pennsylvania competitive would translate into a commonsense budget that protects taxpayers. Instead, I heard much of the same platitudes from our governor as his budget is rife with new government programs, taxpayer-funded special interest handouts, and investments that will cost my constituents dearly.” He further added that it is "unsustainable and irresponsible to increase spending by $3.57 billion while only projecting $1.3 in additional revenue."

The governor’s plan includes an $804 million increase in K-12 education spending, which D’Orsie points out is significantly higher than previous proposals for Lifeline Scholarships aimed at assisting students in low-performing schools.

D’Orsie also voiced concerns about potential cuts to manufacturing tax credit programs, stating that such actions appear to prioritize urban areas like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh over other parts of the state such as his own district, which he described as a manufacturing hub.

Despite his criticism, D’Orsie acknowledged that this proposal marks just the beginning of discussions and expressed readiness to collaborate with colleagues to refine the budget: “Although I believe the proposed budget is irresponsible, this is just the beginning of a long road toward a final solution, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to improve it.”

The House Appropriations Committee will start hearings on February 18th to scrutinize Governor Shapiro’s plan and assess how state agencies are managing their budgets.