Petri Holds Meeting on Proposed State Budget

Northampton-based State Representative Scott Petri (R-178) held a informational meeting to discuss Governor Corbett’s $27.14 billion 2012-2013 budget proposal Thursday night at the .

Thursday’s meeting, which was attended by about a dozen people, is the second of five that are being held.

“These meetings give me a great sense of what people think are the priorities in the budget,” Petri, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said after the meeting.

The representative said he often times brings the ideas and suggestions mentioned by constituents at the meetings back to the state capital.

Petri began the meeting by reviewing a slide show and explained how the proposed budget faces several large cost cuts. Even with the cuts, the state is still facing a projected revenue shortfall of slightly more than $700 million. He said he does feel that when the state’s fiscal year ends in June, the shortfall will be several hundred million dollars less than projected.

Some of the budget’s biggest issues are unsustainable spending and mandatory cost increases like debt service and contractual labor obligations, Petri told the small crowd.

One area where Petri hopes the budget will become more efficient is unemployment benefit extensions.

“[Unemployment benefit extensions] are good for the unemployed, but we need to pay it back,” Petri explained.

Much of the unsustainable spending, Petri said, comes from drop in tax revenue spurred by the economic downfall in 2008.

Rep. Petri stated Gov. Corbett’s budget proposal works to improve the state’s economy – one of the largest in the world – create private sector jobs and reform state government to be “more efficient and flexible.”

Many of the audience’s questions were focused on how the governor's budget, which according to law has to be balanced, handles the growing mandatory state contributions to teacher and government employee pensions.

Petri told the audience that the legislature is looking at multiple solutions to try to alleviate some of the growing cost. One of the issues

The governor's proposed budget would give $10 billion to education funding, which is a 3.4 percent increase over last year, however, nearly all of the extra money would be used to pay the state’s annual contribution to school employees’ pensions.

Also discussed during the question and answer session, Marcellus Shale impact fees and how the money from the fees will be a boon of the state economy and spur job creation in economically depressed rural areas of the state. While there is no Marcellus Shale in our portion of the county, drilling in other parts of the state can help fund many local programs, Petri said.

As the budget deadline approaches Petri said he will continue to gather more information and data as revenues come in to the state and hold three more meetings with constituents over the coming weeks.

Petri’s 178th district represents Ivyland, Northampton, Warwick, Wrightstown, Upper Makefield and Upper Southampton.

Rep. Petri’s Upcoming Meetings:

Date: Thurs., March 8
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Village Library of Wrightstown (Community Room), 727 Penns Park Road, Wrightstown.

Date: Thurs., March 22
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Council Rock School District Chancellor Center (Board Room), 30 N. Chancellor St., Newtown.

Date: Thurs., March 29
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Southampton Free Library (Community Room), 947 Street Road, Southampton.