HARRISBURG (AP) – Gov. Josh Shapiro is proposing a hefty increase in aid to schools in his first budget. Spending would rise by 6% while Shapiro is proposing no increases in income or sales taxes. There would be a slight increase in an fee on monthly phone bills to fund county emergency response systems from $1.65 to $2.03. Shapiro proposed eliminating taxes of 11% on mobile phone service. He did not repeat his call to more than halve the corporate net income tax rate over two years, preferring instead to discuss it with lawmakers. Shapiro did not propose any major one-time spending items using the reserve cash, although roughly $1 billion in money for public schools will come with grants for mental health needs, security improvements, and removing environmental hazards. He asked lawmakers to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour next year. All told, Shapiro’s budget plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year boosts spending to $44.4 billion. The plan will require about $2 billion from reserves, as tax collections are projected to dip. You can read the proposed budget by clicking on Gov. Shapiro’s photo below.
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO