To The Editor,
Monday, Governor Tom Wolf announced that he would allow the bipartisan, compromise budget to become law without his signature by midnight that night unless he had an honest package with sustainable, recurring, and sufficient revenue to sign before that time.
That did not happen.
The General Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to pass a sustainable revenue package to pay for what they have spent and Republicans have promised to send a $1.3 billion dollar revenue bill to the governor’s desk to pay for the budget.
Rep. Lewis had no problems voting to spend the $31.6 billion dollars contained in the bipartisan budget, but when it comes time to pay the bill, his obstructionism could put millions of children, seniors, and vulnerable citizens at risk of losing the funding they need.
If Rep. Lewis does not vote to balance the budget then funding for rape crisis centers, domestic violence abuse victims, basic and higher education, prescription drug assistance for seniors, and fighting the scourge of opioid abuse could be eliminated. Our Commonwealth could again face teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and skyrocketing property taxes.
Unless Rep. Lewis acts now to fund the budget, the people of Pennsylvania who are the most vulnerable – children, seniors, and the ill – will suffer. Rep. Lewis’s inaction will have grave consequences that will directly impact the citizens he has promised to represent.
Our Commonwealth cannot afford another budget crisis, and it is sad that Rep. Lewis and the Republicans in Harrisburg cannot fulfill their basic Constitutional duties.
Josh Maxwell
Mayor, Downingtown
Candidate, 74th District State Representative
