LOCK HAVEN -- State Representative Stephanie Borowicz (R-Clinton/Union) has issued a statement regarding her vote against the recently passed 2026-2027 state budget.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the $50.8 billion budget late Sunday evening, with the majority of the deal being cut behind closed doors, according to reports from Spotlight PA.
The news outlet noted that multiple details for the deal remained in flux until late Saturday, when committees in both the Senate and House chambers advanced bills in a rare weekend session.
The full legislature took final votes Sunday, almost two weeks after the June 30 statutory deadline.
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Borowicz said the budget "continues irresponsible levels of spending and the use of accounting gimmicks -- such as not paying out bills during the current fiscal year -- and one-time sources of funding to make things appear to be balanced."
Her statement noted the budget would push the state's structural deficit to $4.8 billion and risk the general assembly facing the difficult choice to dip into the state's Rainy Day Fund or raise taxes.
"Because we're running out of tricks to pay for the state's uncontrolled spending," she said. "This is unsustainable and does a disservice to Pennsylvania taxpayers," her statement concluded.
According to reports from Spotlight PA the budget puts more than $900 million into education, including pushing monies to underfunded schools following the Supreme Court ruling in 2023; provides a pension bump to thousands of retired school, state and emergency response workers, many of whom retired before 2001; and require data centers to report their annual energy and consumption to the state.
It did not dip into the $8 billion Rainy Day Fund, however instead it pulled more than $500 million from off-budget "special" funds. This includes unused funds from agency bank accounts and using accounting maneuvers such as delaying $1.3 billion in payments to the state's Medicaid managed care organizations, Spotlight PA reported.