Years of financial oversight through Act 47 has prepared cities that were thought to be doomed by the pandemic, while others face cuts and potentially massive tax hikes.
“We should take no pleasure in MacGyvering a state budget by stealing funds that were meant for coronavirus relief,” said state Sen. Tim Kearney.
The rate of unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic among Latino and Native American workers in Pennsylvania was twice that of white and Asian workers, as of mid-October. They were even higher for Black workers, according to a new report by economists at Penn State.
The unemployment rate fell only because of a big drop in the state’s civilian labor force, and the state has yet to recover many of the jobs lost to the economic impact of the coronavirus.
Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat who has advocated for broader gun control measures, opposes the bills.
As state lawmakers prepare to discuss the latest proposed state budget, an expert group predicts the commonwealth won’t have enough tax money to fully fund it.
Gov. Tom Wolf has asked the Republican-controlled Legislature for another nearly $10 billion in spending to round out the fiscal year.
