No Tax Increase Under Corbett’s $29.4B Budget

Gov. Tom Corbett on Tuesday introduced a $29.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year.

The budget calls for a 3.6-percent spending increase, the largest increase of Corbett’s administration, The Philadelphia Inquirer said.

Corbett’s plan does not involve a tax increase, pennlive.com reported

Among those that will benefit under Corbett’s budget are public schools, which will see a $20 million increase in spending for special education, pennlive.com reported. The plan also calls for $240 million for school districts to choose which programs they want to fund, the Inquirer said.

Funding for the state’s universities, including Penn State and Temple, would remain the same under Corbett’s plan, with Penn State receiving $229.6 million and Temple getting $139.9 million, the Inquirer said.

Other highlights of Corbett’s spending plan, according to pennlive: $2 billion to incarcerate the state’s 51,000 prisoners; an increase in Department of Public Welfare funding; and an increase funding for environmental protection.

Funding would decrease for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Community and Economic Development under Corbett's budget, pennlive said.

Corbett is up for re-election this year.

Pennsylvania’s next fiscal year begins July 1.