HARRISBURG – Senator Greg Rothman (R-34) voted today in support of a state budget agreement that controls spending, cuts taxes, includes transformative permitting reform, encourages economic opportunity and supports local students.
“Pennsylvania is facing a demographic crisis. We must change the trajectory of our commonwealth by attracting businesses, jobs and families to Pennsylvania,” Rothman said. “The policy wins enacted as part of this state budget—tax cuts, permitting reform, lower energy costs and improved education funding— will bring people back to Pennsylvania.”
PROTECTING TAXPAYERS
Senator Rothman voted for a budget that protects taxpayers by reducing taxes and holding the line on spending, preventing a massive broad-based tax increase in future years.
The budget also includes commonsense reforms to human service programs, ensuring taxpayer-funded benefits only go to those who truly need and qualify for them.
“Today, I voted to prevent tax increases on working families and ensure their hard-earned dollars are protected,” Rothman said. “I firmly believe that government needs to live within its means and respect taxpayers, remembering that every dollar it spends comes from their pockets.”
ENDING PERMIT PARALYSIS
Transformative permitting reform, championed by Senator Rothman for years, was a major component of the state budget, finally bringing unprecedented transparency, accountability and predictability to state government’s permit process.
With the enactment of this budget, a wide variety of state permits will be deemed approved following a prescribed timeline, ensuring applicants will know the time frame for consideration of their application. State agencies will also be required to publish real-time, publicly accessible permit tracking.
“Permit paralysis is holding back the creation of new jobs,” Rothman said. “More jobs and greater opportunities will be created for all Pennsylvanians when permits are received in a timely and predictable manner.”
CREATING JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Another long-standing priority of Rothman’s, this budget continues the reduction of the Corporate Net Income Tax (CNIT) rate and maintains the elimination of Pennsylvania’s Net Operating Loss (NOL) Startup Penalty, both of which have deterred business expansion and job growth for decades.
“Staying the course on tax reduction sends a message to hardworking Pennsylvanians and job-creators everywhere that Pennsylvania is ripe for opportunity,” Rothman said.
LOWERING ENERGY COSTS FOR CONSUMERS
As a part of this budget agreement, the uncertainty of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $1.2 billion electricity tax will come to an end. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) would have increased electricity rates for consumers, threatened grid reliability and eliminated energy and manufacturing jobs. Today’s budget agreement formally repeals Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI.
“Today, we finally brought an end to this tax on American energy, reducing costs for every Pennsylvania consumer,” Rothman emphasized.
SUPPORTING LOCAL STUDENTS
The state budget also ensures all students residing in the 34th Senate District are treated fairly.
“As a member of the Basic Education Funding Commission, I was dissatisfied with the funding formula because it unfairly penalized taxpayers and students in rapidly growing districts, including Cumberland Valley,” Rothman said. “I’ve been working since the Commission wrapped up its work in 2024 to correct this shortcoming.”
The funding formula adjustments will benefit every school in the 34th district.
“Senator Rothman’s advocacy in addressing the needs of growing school districts played an instrumental role in ensuring a funding formula change was included as part of this year’s state budget,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman stated. “His perspective and leadership on the issue means schools will receive their fair share of education funding from state tax dollars.”
The budget agreement also expands school choice options by providing an additional $50 million through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. The funding will provide more learning opportunities for students to learn in the environment that best suits their needs.
CONTACT: Morgan Wagner