the governors speech is about 90 minutes. [applause]

[applause] [applause] [applause] >> thank you very much. lieutenant governor davis, madam speaker mcclinton, madamident p. leader pittman, leader costa, leader bradford, leader cutler. thank you for convening this

special session and giving me the honor of addressing you today. while i'm grateful to see the house and the senate gathered here together, i'm also mindful that one of our colleagues is not able to be with us. representative joe kerwin from upper paxton township is currently 7,000 miles away, on deployment with the pennsylvania national guard.d every member of the pennsylvania national guard at home and abroad, thank you for your service to our commonwealth and to our country. you are the very best of us. [applause]

we're joined by the love of my life, my best friend since the 9th grade, my wife and our first lady, lori shapiro. [applause] they are standing for you. [applause] ice what you all to know she's going to kill me for that. i'm privileged to work alongside my incredible senior staff and cabinet, led by my chief of staff dana fritz, who collectively represent one of the most impressive groups of public servants ever assembled in pennsylvania. and finally, i want to recognize the hardworking folks from dgs and cms who made this address possible. you see, today, we gather for an historic address.

in the 118 years since president there and dedicated this grand capitol, the pennsylvania general assembly has never held a joint session in this rotunda, and the governor has never delivered a budget address here, until today. i want to thank madam speaker convene this session here and inviting me to deliver these remarks.ke many of you i've wald through this building many times over the past two decades. when i'm under this dome i tried to slow down and look up. it feels like each time something new catches my attention. you know, if you look up now, you can see the blue words circling the walls. those words are a quote from our founder, william penn, written before he ever set foot in what

would be pennsylvania. at a time when he was in prison for his religious beliefs, penn wrote of his dream of a place where people of all religions, all backgrounds could live together in peace, there may be room there for such a holy experiment, he said, speaking of north america. for the nations want a precedent and my god will make it the seed of the nation. that an example may be set up to the nations. that we may do the thing that is truly wise and just. above those words, there is a mural painted by philadelphia native, edwin austin abbey. abbey's mural, the spirit of re ships leaving england, in search of freedom and a new home. penn hadis that would be an example to the nations, a place of tolerance, peace, and prosperity. where leaders would make wise and just decisions in service to all people.

penn's vision was of a commonwealth that would welcome people of all backgrounds. a commonwealth where everyone would have the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. a commonwealth where the government is responsive to the needs of the get stuff done. i'm mindful that we're all part of that lineage. a long tradition that stretches back nearly 343 years, to previous governors and leaders of this commonwealth and general assembly who have all worked together to make progress and society. a century after that mural was painted, penn's promise still rings true in these hallways, and it's on us to carry it forward. my own faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are refrain from it.

that means each of us has a responsibility to get off the■h art. and that, doing our part, is what i want to talk to you about today. although this is a unique setting for a budget address, it's not the only thing unique about the group assembled here today. you see, pennsylvania is the only state in the nation with a divided legislature. in these hyperpolarized times, we are the only state where one chamber is controlled by democrats and the other is controlled by republicans. that means nothing gets done unless it has support from members of both parties. we need to compromise and give a little to get anything done. so while we've had some challenging moments, i think we've all learned from them, myself included. we've learned how to work together to get stuff done and deliver the kind of commonsense solutions i talked about last year. just look at all we've been able

to do together. because we worked together, children are now learning on full bellies, there are more cops on the beat, and we trained an additional 6,000 apprentices last year. [applause] because we worked together, poultry farmers were able to get back on their feet, and businesses are now looking to pennsylvania as a place of great opportunity. because we worked together, we cut costs for seniors and working families and put more money back in their pockets at a time when they're worried about high prices. here in pennsylvania, we get stuff done. together. and when we do accomplish something here in harrisburg, when we movehe field, it's important to celebrate that and focus on the progress we're making, not on the fact that we didn't get 100 percent of what we asked for. so let's build on that progress.

one year after taking office, i can report that the commonwealth of pennsylvania is on strong financial footing. thanks to sound fiscal management in our first year, all three major credit rating agencies improved our outlook or gave us an upgrade. and as a result of that good stewardship and those ratings improvements, taxpayers are saving nearly $100 million that otherwise would have gone to big banks and investment firms as a result of higher interest rates. those savings are on top of the nearly 14 billion dollar surplus available to us at the end of this fiscal year. last year, we cut taxes. this budget continues that, it does not call for a tax but now is the time to invest some of that $14 billion surplus squirreled away here in harrisburg. this.

it is not a badge of honor, nor is it something to be politically proud of for some lawmakers out there to say, i took more money from the good people of pennsylvania than i needed and then bragged about how i just kept it in some bank account here in the capitol. [applause] it's true. it's true. of course we need to prepare for and this budget does that.ay, in fact, even the ratings agencies have said that there's too much money sitting in surpluses around the country instead of being driven out into our communities. i don't want to take any more from the people of pennsylvania than we need to. instead, i want to invest in them. i want to help our commonwealth overcome the challenges we face. we need to build a more competitive pennsylvania that starts in our classrooms, runs through our union halls and our

small businesses, through our farmlands and our high rises, our college campuses, and leads retirement with dignity. we need to keep people safe, make sure they have access to the medical treatments and care they need, and build communities where they see a future of opportunity. so with a competitive spirit, a fervent belief in our fellow pennsylvanians, and excitement about our future, i present to you my budget. let's start with our kids, because real opportunity begins in our classrooms. this body has already shown a commitment toesting in our students, our teachers, and our future. last year, we made the largest single-year increase in basic education funding in pennsylvania history, but we didn't stop there. together, we delivered universal free breakfast for 1.7 million students so our kids can start the day with a full belly, ready

to learn. [applause] we delivered $100 million to put more mental health resources in our schools so our kids can get the help that they need. we delivered $175 million for repairs in school buildings so we can replace lead pipes, remove dangerous asbestos, and fund, to triggers to make sure classrooms are air-conditioned in august and heated in january. and we've begun to address the teacher shortage by making sure those who are just getting started in the profession get paid for their hard work. all of those investments were new last year all because we worked together. that was an excellent first step. but we all know, and the court has ruled, that we need a constitutional, comprehensive solution to guarantee every student the thorough and efficient education they are

entitled to under article iii section 14 of our state constitution. [applause] so let's build on the work we've already done together. the same court that held our system of funding unconstitutional directed us to get around the table and come up with a better system. it should be noted that everyone here, legislators from both parties in both chambers, accepted the remedy the court put forth by virtue of your decision not to appeal that ruling. with that decision, republican leaders agreed to come to the table and fix the way we fund education. and so, we began that work together. the basic education funding commission heard from folks across the commonwealth and traveled to communities big and small, rural, urban, and suburban alike. members of the general assembly and their staff, alongside members of my administration,

worked hard over the past year, meeting with advocates, parents, teachers, and administrators to prepare their report. last month, they delivered that report and outlined a path forward to deliver a comprehensive solution on k-12 education in pennsylvania. and now, following the general contours of that report, my budget invests $1.1 billion in new funding this year for our schools. [applause] that'se= right. and it makes sure no school gets less than they did last year as we drive these dollars out in a more equitable manner.hat will be sent to support our school children under a new adequacy

formula so we can ensure every school has the appropriate lel of resources they need to serve their students. on top of that, my budget increases special education funding by another $50 million, because we all recognize that some students need more resources and more support. and it invests another $30 million in pre-k programs to help recruit and retain the teachers who get our kids off to a great start. while we make these new investments, my budget also builds on the progress we made last year by addressing some of the big challenges in our schools. we're continuing to fund universal free breakfast during the school year, but we're also making sure no kid goes hungry during the summer by funding the summer food service program. that's something we should be proud of. [applause] we should. think about it. think about this. and at a time when some governors are eschewing federal funding that would ensure kids

are well-fed over the summer, we've already shown that we, pennsylvania democrats and republicans alike, care about our kids and that we will come together to feed them. this budget also includes more for student mental health. our students are calling out for help and support, and we need to be there for them. and it builds on the down payment we made last year to fund school repairs. consider this, the scranton school district alone has identified more than $300 million in necessary repairs, everything from installing a new fire sprinkler to removing lead paint. the sto-rox school district in mckees rocks has at least $14 million worth of work that's needed. all three of their school buildings need urgent roof repairs to prent leaks wn and the panther valley school district in schuylkill and carbon counties told the basic education funding commission that kindergarteners are forced to learn in rooms without air conditioning because they can't afford the upgrades.

look, i could go on and on. you get my point. we need to invest lot more to help these districtsai students. so my budget builds on the progress we've made, setting aside $1.5 billion, including 300 million this year alone, to make our schools healthy and safe. [applause] this is impacting students and parents in districts all across pennsylvania. and it's impte a couple months ago, i had a meeting with representative fiedler in my office. i was a little surprised when she showed up with her two kids, who were in tow that day because their school was closed after asbestos was detected. i was happy to see representative fiedler's kids and i'm sure they enjoyed their time in the capitol. but there are a lot of other

families out there who would have had to miss part of a paycheck, miss a day's work, because we didn't do our part to make our schools safer. and while we repair those broken pipes in our schools, we also need to repair the pipeline of professionals who go into teaching. because right now, pde reports there are about 5,500 teacher vacancies across pennsylvania. and that's in large part because fewer people are choosing to become teachers. ten years ago, pennsylvania certified nearly 20,000 new teachers every year. last year, we certified only 5,000 because so few people applied. we've taken some steps as a commonwealth■v to we sped up the time it takes to get a new teacher their certification, from over 12 weeks to just under three. we're giving stipends to student teachers for the first time

[applause] but here's the thing. rebuilding that pipeline takes time, and we need to do more. that's why my budget proposes additional investments in studenteachers and talent recruitment so we can expose more young people to the joys of teaching and nurturing our kids. two months ago in hershey, i presented the teacher of the year award to ms. ashlie crosson from mifflin county. it was awesome to see so many teachers together in one room. they talked to me about how rewarding their profession is, but also that they need more help and support. that's why we're putting more mental health resources in our help our kids improve their reading ability and stem skills. i also heard from those teachers about how they're confronting the misinformation kids are finding online and bringing into the classroom. we need to address that. i'm especially mindful of this during black history month. dr. martin luther king, jr. wrote, education must train one

for quick, resolute, and effective thinking. to think incisively and to think for one's self is very difficult. we are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half-truths, prejudices, and propaganda, king wrote. look, our children are being fed half-truths, prejudices, and propaganda nearly every day on their pho and social media. we give them devices with access to the entire world at a young age, but never teach them how to use them. lori and i see this as parents. i don't care whether our kids on the right, but i do care that they're able to discern fact from fiction. [applause]

that's why i've directed the department of education to develop a toolkit for teachers and parents on digital literacy and critical thinking. this is important, and it follows on the good work you did last year when you passed and i signed into law a bill that requires schools to teach financial literacy. [applause] we need to ensure our young people are prepared for the world that they are living in. we also need to update antiquated state laws that cost our school districts too much money. let me give you an example. when the charter school law was first adopted in 1997, the idea of going to a cyber school was new and relatively few parents sent their kids there. but today, nearly 60,000 pennsylvania students go to cyber charters.

however, we've never gone back and reevaluated how we fund these schools. cyber charterset the same amount per student as brick-and-mortar schools do. and it varies district by district. in practice, that means one district might pay $7,000 to a cyber charter while another has to pay $10,000 to the exact same school. and while cyber charters certainly need adequate funding to operate, logic would dictate that two students going to the same school, getting the same education, would pay the same rate. logic would also dictate that they need less than a brick-and-mortar charter school simply because they don't have the same physical infrastructure. [applause] i know there's bipartisan consensus that these antiquated laws need to be updated. so let's come up with a uniform

rate that actually reflects wh it costs to send a kid to a cyber charter school. let's say we set a rate of $8,000 per student, the amount set by a bill that passed the house last year in a bipartisan manner.■fl level the playing field, and as a result, we'll be able to return $262 million back to our public schools. [applause] it gets better. if you combine those savings with the new money i'm proposing for our 500 school districts, that would mean nearly $2 billion more for our public schools next year.

[cheers and applause] that's right. this is ambitious. none of this is easy and all of it will require us to work together. to stay at the table. to keep having the important conversations. and look, one of those conversations will need to be about scholarships that let poor families in struggling school districts put their kids in the best position for them to succeed, whether that's paying for extra tutoring, books and computers, or yes, going to another school. the senate passed a proposal last year that included important elements of that, and it's something i support and consider to be unfinished business. i'm grateful house democratic leadership has committed to examine and seriously consider this proposal to address the needs of our most at-risk learners.

so we've left room for hd commod on this. let's not shy away from the many difficult conversations around education. let's stay at it. our challenges around education aren't going to be solved in one budget cycle, but we can make real progress toward a lasting, equitable solution. we have a once-in-a-lifetimeityr kids. let's seize this moment. [applause] if we do this right, we will not only set our young people up for individual success, but we will lift up our entire commonwealth in the process. and once those kids graduate from high school, we need to make sure they have the freedom to chart their own course and determine for themselves their next steps in life. i'm sick and tired of hearing someone say to a high school

student, well, college just might not be right for you. maybe you should think about becoming a welder. hear me on this. that elitist attitude is wrong, and it hurts our commonwealth. [applause] if you're in the 10th or 11th grade and you're excited about being a welder or a plumber, we should celebrate that. and we should treat that career path with the same level of respect as someone who chooses to go to college. [applause] we've shown that kind of respect in my administration. on my first day as governor, i signed an executive order announcing that 92% of commonwealth jobs do not require a college degree. and as a result, one year later, nearly 60% of the commonwealth's new hires don't have a college degree, but do have the necessary skills to help our fellow pennsylvanians. together, we've made record

apprenticeship programs, and on the job training. last year, i signed an executive order creating a first-in-the-nation initiative to train as many as 10,000 new workers here in pennsylvania over the next 5 years. so when the pittsburgh water & sewer authority needs to replace lead service lines in a neighborhood like esplen where i visited last summer. we'll fund their new workers, workers who hopefully went through our school districts, went into an apprenticeship program and fell in love with the trades, and can go out and use their skills to deliver clean drinking water to our homes. i'm coming back to you today and including these investments in my budget once again because what w d working. since then, my administration has registered 33 new apprenticeship programs and enrolled nearly 6,000 new apprentices statewide. we should be proud of that. [applause]

thanks to our collective work, more pennsylvanians are training to become steelworkers in york county and machinists in elk county. we're training more apprentices in dairy herd management, water system operations, and cybersecurity. we're giving pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. so let's keep at it. that's one of the reasons why i want to create a new career connect program to connect employers with talented young people and create thousands of internships over the next 10 years. because let's remember: there are many paths to success after high school. some of our young people will go into the military. some will go straight into the workforce. some will enter a union apprenticeship program. and some will go to college. we need to respect all paths to opportunity equally, and we need to invest in them. [applause] so let's now talk how we're going to help those who choose

the path to college. in my budget address last year, i proclaimed our higher ed system broken and called for a new blueprint. you may recall, that was one of the moments when both sides stood up and applauded, because we all recognized the need for us to come together and do something. let's be honest, what we're doing now isn't working. after 30 years of disinvestment, too many of our colleges and universities are running on empty and not enough students have affordable pathways through college and into good jobs. think about this. pennsylvania now ranks 49th for state investment in higher education, and 48th in higher education affordability. and by the way, dan, you want to be one and that 50 on that chart. -- gang. over the past decade, enrollment in our state system of higher education has dropped 30 percent and enrollment in our ccolleges.

the faculty, staff, and administrators at these schools are working really hard, but they've been dealt a lousy hand. because of the legislature's disinvestment, colleges are being forced to duplicate degree programs, drive up costs, and actually reduce access. and so, for the better part of the last decade, the conversations around higher ed in this building have been about subtraction. subtracting resources. subtracting services. subtracting access. pennsylvanians deserve better. we need to play a game of addition, not subtraction, and focus on building a world-class system of higher education. one that keeps our young people in the commonwealth, helps our students gain the skills they need, and provides businesses with theore successful. a system focused on competitiveness, grounded in

access and affordability. last year, i promised you i would come back with a plan. after a year of gathering feedback from higher education leaders across the commonwealth, i'm proud to present to you my blueprint for higher education. a blueprint that has earned the support of higher ed leaders from every sector, from our community colleges and passhe schools to our hbcus and state-related universities. this plan has earned the support of students, workers, ceos, county commissioners, and mayors, and a good number of the folks in this room. a bold, forward-looking vision that i believe we can make happen. together. let me walk you through my three-part plan. first, we will build a new system for higher education that unites our passhe schools and our 15 community colleges. this new system will preserve local leadership while ensuring we're all rowing in the same direction. together, our public colleges and universities will create pathways to affordable

credentials and degrees while opening up the doors of opportunity and meeting the commonwealth's workforce needs. .. we need to fix the way we fund state relief. the nation's oldest hbc you making university. for too long, let's be clear we have subjected them to political gain. what are they getting by investing in these institutions if they are a loved one will go there? x

in the past, state lawyers had to get a two thirds vote.

under my plan, it will be a simple majority in the dollar turn into a dollar .10 or dollar .20 if they need the metrics and us we pay for performance, we ensure it is supportable. one of our schools and systems one of our independent colleges said their part of the plan, next her after the system is in place, i'll come back to you and investing to 79 million directly and offset costs for students. under the plan, new student or family making immediate income or below will pay more than $1000 for tuition and fees in our new system and students in every school will increase by $1000. you pass my plan and make the investnt budget, we will jump 49th in

the nation to 22nd in five years. it is time. [cheering and applauding] to plan to build his blueprint for higher education and leave a lasting legacy because if we can ensure pennsylvanians receive a great education pre-k through a partnership all the way up to college graduation, if we can give pennsylvania the freedom to chart their own course an opportunity to opportunity will follow. [cheering and applauding] is on top of that foundation that we will build an economy in economic development, innovation and job creation. i've made it clear, pennsylvania is open for business. we hit the ground running as a

result of direct engagement, we've secured $1.2 billion in the private sector. a global semiconductor putting 300 million in building the largest specialty cap facility in the world. investing $190 million to create the first manufacturing line by an pharmaceutical. and a leader to relocate from massachusetts and it gives me great pleasure. [applause]

unemployment is down. [cheering and applauding] i want us to be the best and this time grabs our attention and resources.

we got a strategy to deploy different tools and link up each one of them but in order to execute this, we need to invest. consider this, over the last five years, our neighbors in new york and new jersey committed resources to economic development. ohio, one of the half-million in pennsylvania if they invested seven times more than economic development. you know what? there investment is paying off i'm sick and tired of losing to ohio. [cheering and applauding] last year my administration

invited a group of meetings across the country we asked whether honesty. these are the people who helped relocate or expand. the highly skilled workforce in the way we perform government to make a move more quickly. they like the fact in this population but they told us it's nearly impossible because we don't have sites ready to go. other states are ready and permits are doing hookups and finally catch up and start this work now because it takes years to get ready and that's why thanks to the investment you made last year, we launched a program andsk for applications and 10 million immigrants

available to developers and companies could begin to prosper. we received over 100 applications totally to $35 million in development. the demand is there but this community is ready and other states are already doing it. i'm pposing a major in investment, half a billion dollars and when it works, will 6&usuall grom the companies that prove to pay back their bonds. there is power in these. last night they joined me to announce the redevelopment kensington to turn itnt manuface 300 new jobs and it's oftentimes overlooked. that will change the face of the

community and the old fauci will embrace innovation and aircraft and batteries in support clean energy sector. you see in the budget a new innovation, one that helps startups support dreams and gives resources ty need to go after the next discovery right here in pennsylvania. these sites are key to building our communities and combating climate change. i know there bills to pass, one of the most important things we can do is invest in clean economy and economic development plan will do that and help businesses succeed here in pennsylvania and when the who wo make sure employees were main

street has small businesses and housing to support in a proposed 25 million for makeshift, building off the keystone -- [cheering and applauding] building off keystone communities program to support all busin start and main street across pennsylvania. at the same time the lunch pennsylvania regional competitive challenge and incentivize regional planning so local communities can work together for resources available to them. with met with local elected leaders to support their vision keep them parties. as result strong communities we need to make sure folks can get around safely and affordably. we started decoupling police

funding and infrastructure which put them both in a stronger financial footing. 125 million available for road repairs. leveraging funding to get even more federal dollars and as a result preparing 7000 miles of road base, 600 more miles than your before. this year a budget linked 25 billion available to make sure roads are safe and well to maintain. things every single day. major employers trains and trolleys to get employees to and from offices and seniors depend on right services were 2.1 million a year and it provides

freedom and opportunity. the organizers coming right here in 2020 and public transit and that's what they deserve and what are received in the major investment in public transit and more than a decade. [cheering and applauding] [cheering and applauding]

across pennsylvania receiving $1.5 billion it would m $40 billion this year alone, in northampton and millions more for others across the state. i know this is especially import■xt in southeastern pennsylvania and my administration has been working for months to address their challenges i insisted they address concerns about cleanliness and safety and i've asked local counties whose residents benefit from additional support. addressing cleanliness and safety and entertain a willingness to increase financial support. working to do all the plans especially on safety in partnership in philadelphia for

administration. i am now prepared to increase investment by 161 million bringing the total state funding to $1 billion. [cheering and applauding] this investment will trigger automatic 15% from local counties raising another 24 million this year end based on our discussions, if you adopt this, they will not cut service workdays cares and a half a concrete plan for cleaner and safer public transit system to create economic opportunity to tell the. [cheering and applauding]

my administration is focused on creating economic opportunity in every community, all like of you may have noticed for the first time economic development strategy is a focus on successet on group misuse permit and have spent tim on valley farm generation family farm. i see the farm as part of our heritage, i see it as a group of our success going forward. pennsylvania is home 63000 forms from 600,000 pennsylvanians working under pressure 132 billion to our state economy so not only is it disrespectful to form from it does make sense in

the same sentence to talk about brightside manufacturing should be talking about the destiny of our farms and farmers develop places emphasis on aging. i want to help farmers of great equipment take advantage of technology to the innovation fund. there's real innovation happening all across especially on our farms. i met his beautiful family and he joins us today. place into electricity not just for their firm but the neighborhood hereby. cupping her environment and his business, because the ingenuity of pennsylvania farmers work. invested in that, we need to do more on our farms across pennsylvania. the budget also invest in animal

health and disease prevention funding a new testing laboratory and western pennsylvania. we have an animal testing lab in the eastern part but not the western part of the state. a big oversight and flex budget close that gap to prevent herds, cap phlox. [cheering and applauding] is a statewide that runs from sky scrapers to firms, roads and rails and gives everyone a shot economic opportunity the matter what you look like or where you come from talk to so many business leica. newark in black-owned businesses in our free access to capital and we need to make sure there

is opportunity for all to participate in our economy and all to build generational wealth and that's why we devoted new funding to support disadvantaged businesses in our last budget. the first time the commonwealth directly from state dollars to create an opportunity for folks to long should have. small diverse businse is the coe his work we are looking for. the largest purchaser of goods and services in pennsylvania is our commonwealth and i signed executive order to help small businesses and we are already making progress. contractors to pay within ten days. [cheering and applauding]

we■' raised the revenue cap so businesses could qualify and reduce the business to work with the commonwealth by 33%. i'm not just doing this because it's the right thing to do, and it is, or doing it because it's the smart thing to do. a better service for prices and the good people pennsylvania, i'm not looking to give a handout, i want to give a hand up andre opportunity in our economy shot. [cheering and applauding] and in order to create the opportunity, pennsylvanians need to learn a decent wage earned a disk decent wage. [applause] [applause]

>> ,. [cheering and let's be real. minimum wage, 7.25 an hour for 15 years. if you don't know what it means, asked the secretary. it's time we raise minimum wage to 15000. [cheering and applauding] we are falling behind.

antico workers and every single one of our neighboring states has raised minimum wage. thirty other states across the country we seen proof of the many workers would rather drive into another state to work so they can earn a higher wage than take a job in pennsylvania. some workers in the hospitality go to work in new york and believe employees here struggling to find help. raising the minimum wage will make them more competitive and create economic opportunity. my house pass the bill raised $15 an hour and i am encouraged to see the comments of the leaders in the senate to show willingness to engage on this issue and finally get this done

together. the only place falling behind. 50% of voters in ohio supporting this initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. ohio, new york, new jersey, delaware and maryland, practically all of our neighbors legalize marijuana and we are losing out on an industry that would bring in more than $250 million in annual revenue. this only fuels the black market and much needed resources. i ask you to come together send a bill that legalize marijuana.

this shouldy is regulated and act responsibly and here ing" pennsylvania especially in communities is proportionally harmed by criminalization. that bill should contain a provision for those convicted for nonviolent possessions of marijuana rather records expunged. [cheering and applauding]

while we take steps to be more competitive, who got to be mindful with got to cut costs for folks. i've heard first-hand pennsylvanians were struggling. two giant steps/utica cost. we put money back in the pockets for working families expanding the child tax [applause] this year 210,000 families will get hundreds more back to pay for child care. we delivered the largest tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades by spending the property tax. [cheering and applauding]

lawmakers complained for a while but together we got done and mor relief and those among unequal she rates nearly double. no seniors can be priced out in the future. pennsylvanians have to work to pay the bills. let's work costs. take care of them. 60% of all homes ina were built before 1970 and 20 are in dire need of a lot of homeowners can't afford the cost. her furnace gave out at the age of 72.

even her oven. imagine that was your mother ore oven on tuesday warm, we can't accept tt but they came together and created a home repairs program. one of the first recipient receiving $10000 grant to replace the tubes drafting doors in her house. just reading all to the program it was so strong as a waitlist and most counties as of last month, they've allocated all funding and eight times more people on the waitlist. seventy-five applications. but support them by investing

another 50 million in the homes repair program. [cheering and applauding] 's demand is high and it's more affordable. one of the most effective tools we have in the trust fund. construction and rehabilitation and its more affordable homes to cut costs for pennsylvanians. lower cost for homeowners and renters.

so let's be there for them. my budget investment allows them to keep on working in our economy. at the same time investment lower the premiums for an additional 400,000 pennsylvanians because if we do nothing here these folks will be priced out folks were uninjured drive up the cost of healthcare for all of us and save us all 20

later all we can do nothing and subject ourselves to higher costs. this is common sense stuff they're getting screwed by the high cost drugs, they keep raising prices and we don't know why. negotiating drug prices they don't have to report the information in the insurance department. these are ppm's and they have madets. time to perform the operation and we are doing our part shoul. and we need to help pennsylvanians crushed by medical. 1 million in this issue impacts

rural communities. counties at the highest share of medical debt or green, bradford, franklin and mccain. 20% of residents carrying medical debt combined with higher prices are marked this as an anchor only families and communities back. your credit course offers and makes it harder to reach financial ability. hospitals debt collection agencies within investment of 4 million to wipe out medical debt from pennsylvanians and give them the chance they need to succeed financially. [cheering and applauding]

the crisis and in the past 20 years, 33 rural hospitals reduce services or close completely.i i expect to come back to address this question because if we cut the cost of healthcare we need to make sure it's available and accessible for everyone. unfortunately that is not the case for everyone. imagine 1 million pennsylvanians in your 60 years old caring for your adult what does disability.

parents and caregivers doing everything right. on o her son joins us today. lancaster county and visited june so instead, a 60-year-old single mom has battled her own challenges and is forced to provide for herself.

people can't access it because there aren't enough caregivers in the reason is because they don't get paid enough. we are asking a professional to do this incredibly difficult labor-intensive work and their paycheck yields about $12 an hour. so these caregivers want to help people home and community

survivors so they can take competitive rates to attract to provide life-changing services. [applause] 's imagine this was your kid. imagine if this was your■ñ kid o couldn't find the services needed in panel the only reason why a caregiver isn't available is because they are not getting a different decent wage because they refuse to raise wages.

so let's make this the year we get it done. let's do this work together. [cheering and applauding] show that this budget is just a bunch of numbers. a statement of our values and principles from our government to follow when it shows how we care. this budget investment intervention and childcare because our kids deserve the support they need to go and development. raising snap benefits for low-income families because everyone deserves a healthy meal on the table at dinner time. this budget addresses the challenges for so many girls who lack access for hygiene projects

the first lady is tied this year meeting with these young women sharing their stories. school days because they got there. that had to run home in the middle of the day because nothing was available to them at school. this budget makes it available at no cost at schools bau peaced and focus on learning. [cheering and applauding]

this budget increases the. reporter: health care providers to high-quality in tools and reproductive health care services because women and girls deserve to make their own choices. [cheering and applauding] we ought to double down on work for mortality especially among oters. [cheering and applauding] this budget does that.

the commitment i made in house costs and priority of our commonwealth second lady and a new mom, by the way. [cheering and applauding] we're going to do this together. [cheering and applauding] this budget invest more in the hands of aaa to develop and deliver more service andrs are t aging loved ones and for the first time ever establishes alzheimer's disease division to support families dealing with the terrible disease and all of these investors are being made as we get ready to implement the first ever master plan on aging ,$because seniors deserve suppot so they can live out their years with dignity.

[cheering and applauding] today nearly one in four pennsylvanians are seniors. now is the time to plan. a budget is a statement of values and as we think about value let's remember what happens between your ears is just as important as what happens the rest of your body. meaningful work to investing $100 million, 20 doing more for mental health support in this budget matches by increasing support for county level motel services. the 988 crisis hotline and operation and supporting mental health crisis help. as we think about this, we need to think about those cloven abused, left unprotected by the m. right, survivors of sexual abuse and give them a

chance to confront their abusers through decades of injustice. [cheering and applauding] come on, gang. you all have passed this before, you pass it and needs to be part of a political and applauding] we should do it because it is right. [cheering and applauding]■ñ it is right every pennsylvanian we should be proud of words set in motion here, a place that is

welcoming to all, a place where there are no second-class citizens. back in 1974 right here in harrisburg king along side my friend, marc siegel became the first governor in the nation to lead the lgbtq community. one year later he became the first to ban discrimination against lgbtq state employees. we should be proud. we were leading the nation when it came to lgbtq rights and now we are falling behind. it's ridiculous. in pennsylvania two women can get married on a sunday fired from the job monday just because love. the senate should honor and past

that bill and put it on my desk. [applause] lot of bipartisan crs for that. commonsense reforms that makes the system more fair and just for everyone. we together last year and let's continue that. one of onlo states that didn't provide any state-funded. last year we came together and delivered an and a half billion

but that is just a down paymentd families in pennsylvania were budget increase funding by 50%. we will hav legal counsel. [cheering and applauding] in philadelphia has done

exceptional work the diversion program, nationally recognized during the pandemic. as we continue to make the legal system more fair and just we have to think about the victims of crime. let me tell you about one of those victims. a wonderful ninth grade kid. have heard from we are honored.

[cheering and applauding] >> unacceptable levels and it's long past time to take action. thanks to his leadership, for the first time ever we are going to fd office gun violence. [cheering and applauding]

i'm proposing we invest $100 billion for all across pennsylvania and we will increase nonprofit security grants or places like most churches and synagogues. give local law enforcement agencies and district attorney's office of resources to investigate and pse related crimes. read the opportunity to pass the first significant gun reform legislation in two decades. [cheering and applauding] loopholes on backgroundd criminr hands-on. just close the loopholes.

[cheering and applauding] close the loophole. [applause] you like to talk a big game about law & order so let's strengthen our law in ave lives. [cheering and applauding] the house failed to do that in a bipartisan manner in the senate should do the same. the community is crying out for us to act. law enforcement is on the side of the community, n action in this building.

police officers do a dangerous joan we made a massive investment creating or state troopers which they are already hiring. it's for the cadet class and now is the time to do it because it's 258% increase the number of applicants taking a test. [cheering and applauding] i think we should be supporting those and we owe it to them to make sure we have the equipment and funding they need to do their jobs.

equipment and technology, first responders, to. there equipment and training for dangerous wildfires and recruit and retain after the train derailment a year ago this past saturday. we make sure railroads paid to replace the firefighting equipment contaminated as a result. this year my budget expands on the by doubling our investment in the great program. [applause] a fe ago they told me how they needed help. need a lot of help especially rebuilding in dealing with their colleagues mental health.

we have to ensure first responders are well funded and well equipped and that's exactly what this budget will do. [applause] this year we have a real chance to build a safer community. invest in our students in the budget focus on doing just that were each piece built on the other. no matter her zip code, she asked options for future, no matter what path she chooses. the apprenticeship program or college, college she can afford. good jobs in her community because we reinvested it as she grows up, she's gotta health care system not working against her but with her. she gets to age with dignity and

where to live in commonwealth she is. i know the bold vision and some will be opposed. we can't afford that. i would argue we can't afford not to invest right now. think about it. we got $14 billion service mark real challenges, education and our workforce to hold in the future if we don't take action right now. one in four pennsylvanians 50 and by 2030, one in three. we need to invest now not only so we can care so we can chat more and more prosperity.

party you are in, it should be okay with an unconstitutional education for our kids. [cheering and applauding] 's no one here should be okay with the status quo, 40 nights in innovation. we can't afford to live in neighboring states and economic development, wages for those who are most vulnerable in our systems and show them that we care. we need to get more stuff done together. that should be clear about is balanced and does not raise taxes, it cuts them.

even if we fund every one of the initiatives i've talked about today and continued budgets, we would still have $11 billion surplus end of june, 2025. so while i expect you will carefully analyze results, your analysis should not be used as an excuse for paralysis. it is time to solve the pressing problems to me at this moment possibly and with bipartisan confidence. let's take inspiration from this. i mentioned the murals earlier. as another north side of the

country shows the roman working in order for our commonwe that will painted at the height of pennsylvanians industrial wealth reminds us about history, commonwealth fueled the industrial revolution lifting people up out of poverty powering the middle class and creating the american labor movement. fascism threatened overseas, it was our common law home to the arsenal of democracy and the most powerful in the world. [applause] our kids read about these things in the history books they are depicted on these minerals but i

don't want our children just tor future. [applause]án

now let us get to work together. [cheering and applauding] ■