HARRISBURG (AP) – Democrat lawmakers in PA are angry that millions of dollars to expand adult mental health services got cut out of state spending legislation, and are pushing to get it included now that the legislation is held up in a month-old budget impasse. The fight over the money comes as schools and counties report spikes in demand for mental health services on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds for adults were cut from a budget bill that Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro says he will sign. The Senate budget bill instead pushed those dollars to student mental health. Democrats say that both should be funded by tapping into the state’s reserves. Republicans have been tempered in their spending plans through the budget process, advocating for keeping operational expenses low in the face of a potential recession.
