PA 2024-25 Budget Passed; Hunger Remains Underfunded
Late Thursday, July 11, the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted on a $47.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2024-25. The final compromise was about $860 million below what Governor Josh Shapiro had initially proposed in February but maintained commitments to key programs Lutherans in Pennsylvania have diligently advocated for this cycle
PA Budget Still Pending After Deadline
The June 30th constitutional deadline for the 2024-25 budget has come and gone, but both Senate Republican leadership and Governor Shapiro have expressed optimism that final negotiations will be reached soon. Governor Shapiro's proposed $48.3 billion budget includes several ambitious proposals around affordable housing, health care, and education equity. It
LAMPa’s Response to Governor Shapiro’s 2024 Budget Address
LAMPa finds much to applaud in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $48.3 billion budget proposal unveiled yesterday, especially in priority areas of housing, health care, safe communities, household financial stability and education equity. Although nutrition programs would see some significant increases and innovations, hunger advocates fear they do not go far enough
Legislature enacts budget with childcare tax credit, indigent defense; addressing medical debt and whole-home repairs delayed
The General Assembly ended 2023 with passage of code bills that enact the budget. After months of stalled negotiations, and almost halfway through the fiscal year, the final bill passed with significant bipartisan support and was signed immediately by Gov. Shapiro. “I think it's important to note that we learned
National Housing Report Shows Wide Gap Between Wages, Cost of Rent
To afford a two-bedroom apartment plus utilities — without paying more than 30% of income on housing — a Pennsylvania household must earn $20.90 an hour, or $43,463 a year, according to a new national study. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) report Out of Reach 2022 ,
Housing, Education and Creation Care Get Boost in State Budget
The 2022-23 Pennsylvania budget includes significant gains for education, housing and creation care, but only a modest increase for anti-hunger programs. A $1.8 billion increase in education funding makes strides toward decreasing the funding gap in what has been one of the least equitable school funding systems in the country.
LSS Hunger Ministry Lifts Needs of Seniors, Pennsylvanians with Disabilities
The Rev. Angela Hammer of St. Paul, Penryn, shared the experiences of her congregation's feeding ministry in a state Capitol press conference in support of proposed increases to minimum nutrition assistance benefits for seniors and Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Hunger leaders in all seven Pennsylvania synods have reported increasing need in
Advocates, Legislators, Rally for Whole-Home Repairs Bill
On May 24, LAMPa joined advocates and legislators gathered on the steps of the Pennsylvania Capitol to rally in support of the bipartisan Whole-Home Repairs Bill. Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill) spoke of his support for the bill saying that Pennsylvania must "Fix the homes before we have to tear them down".
LAMPa Joins Advocates, Mothers, Urging Safety Net Protections
"Through human decisions and actions, God is at work in economic life. Economic life is intended to be a means through which God’s purposes for humankind and creation are to be served. When this does not occur, as a church we cannot remain silent because of who and whose we
Governor’s Budget Proposal Includes Investments in Education, Jobs, Protections for Vulnerable
Gov. Tom Wolf's final budget proposal contains historic increases for education, among investments in infrastructure, jobs, and services for vulnerable Pennsylanians. Continuing a focus on improving public education and erasing one of the largest funding equity gaps in the country, Wolf outlined an additional $1.9 billion to benefit students from
