Area legislators commented on the $45.55 billion Pennsylvania budget passed by the House Wednesday night.

Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, voted against the measure. “I believe in being fiscally responsible, ensuring our children have access to better education, providing property tax relief for homeowners and no energy taxes as our costs continue to rise with inflation.”

Heffley said this budget “increases spending by 6%, abandons students in failing schools, cuts services for the intellectually disabled and fails to remove Pennsylvania from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - which will translate into a $500 million energy tax on residents.”

He added, “The fact that Gov. Josh Shapiro turned his back on his own campaign promise to kids stuck in failing schools is proof there is no sincerity or willingness to compromise coming from this administration. I am disappointed in how this budget process was handled and that the residents of the Commonwealth were not a priority to the governor.”

Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-Schuylkill, who supports school choice, said, “Pennsylvania’s divided General Assembly promised to work together in this year’s budget process. Despite our differences, I was hopeful bipartisanship would win to better the lives of all Pennsylvanians, while passing a fiscally responsible budget. However, Gov. Josh Shapiro broke that promise by pledging to veto $100 million in funding for a Lifeline Scholarship program that would have helped students trapped in the bottom 15% of schools in the state.”

Twardzik addressed the increase as well. “You can’t responsibly run a household or business while outspending your bank account.”