Ortitay Reacts to Shapiro’s Budget Proposal

February 4, 2025

HARRISBURG — Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal before a joint session of the General Assembly:

“Right now, Pennsylvanians are already dealing with rising property taxes, inflation and an uncertain economy. The governor’s plan includes a lot of new spending but relies on one-time surplus dollars and could set us up for tax increases down the road. We need to focus on helping working families and small businesses. This budget falls short of that.

“Today, Gov. Josh Shapiro laid out his budget plan for the 2025-26 fiscal year. While I respect his optimism and the call for working together, I’m concerned about what his plan means for Pennsylvania families and taxpayers as it increases spending by 7.5%, drains our budget surplus to zero and sets us on a course for a $3 billion deficit next year.

“The governor highlighted historic investments in public education, but simply increasing funding has not yielded the desired outcomes. The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show us what we’ve known for decades: more money in the system hasn’t improved math and reading skills. Reading and math scores have actually decreased dramatically. Two-thirds of our kids can’t read at grade level. It’s time to focus on and invest in proven, evidence-based early literacy programs to actually help our students succeed.

“The governor talked a lot about bipartisanship, and I agree — we need to work together. But real bipartisanship means rolling up our sleeves and having meaningful conversations, not just talking about it.

“Here’s what I believe we should focus on:
• Cutting taxes for families and businesses so they can keep more of their hard-earned money.
• Cutting through red tape by streamlining the permitting process and modernizing regulations.
• Investing in evidence-based early literacy programs to give every child a strong foundation for success.
• Making smart investments in infrastructure, technology and innovation to drive our economy forward.
• Supporting law enforcement to ensure our communities are safe.
• Balancing the budget responsibly so we’re not leaving future generations to pay the price.

“This is just the beginning of the budget process. Over the next month, the House and Senate will dig into the details during appropriations hearings, and then we’ll get down to business in June to finalize a budget before the June 30 deadline. I’m ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to create a budget that works for all Pennsylvanians.”

For more information on Shapiro’s 2025-26 proposal, visit pahousegop.com.

The 46th Legislative District includes South Fayette Township and McDonald and Oakdale boroughs in Allegheny County. It also encompasses Cecil, Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant and North Strabane (Districts 6,7,8 and 9) townships and Canonsburg, Houston and McDonald boroughs in Washington County.

Representative Jason Ortitay
46th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives