Gov. Shapiro's Budget Must Choose: Working Families or Handouts to the Richest Pennsylvanians?

All Eyes on Yass coalition pushes for a state budget that protects public services and working Pennsylvanians amid looming federal cuts

PENNSYLVANIA – In response to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget address, the All Eyes on Yass Coalition is questioning Governor Shapiro’s plans to cut taxes for billionaires and corporations. Pennsylvanians’ state tax dollars are at an even higher premium as President Trump has stacked the federal government with billionaires who seek massive federal budget cuts in order to fund tax cuts for corporations and billionaires. 

Diana Robinson, Co-director of Make The Road Pennsylvania, said:

"Pennsylvanians are trapped in a world of economic pain – wages are too low, corporate greed spiked grocery and electric bills, and public services are chronically underfunded. The state already funnels billions to the wealthy through $600 million in tax credits to privatize education. The governor’s call for more corporate handouts compounds the problem. We should be investing directly in schools, communities, and public services, and preparing for drastic federal budget cuts to healthcare and education, not subsidizing schemes that drain public funds for private gain."

Pennsylvania’s budget fight comes as billionaire Jeff Yass, Pennsylvania’s richest man, gathers with Republican governors at the White House for a roundtable on school vouchers – a scheme notorious for enriching the wealthy while draining resources from public schools. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is seeking acquisition of the Treasury’s payment system and threatening to slash federal funding for essential programs like Social Security, SNAP and Medicaid. 

The All Eyes On Yass tracker shows 1 in 3 Pennsylvania legislators are funded by Jeff Yass, who has long called for lower corporate tax cuts and several other legislative changes that would allow corporations and billionaires to pay less in taxes, if not nothing. 

Aly Shaw, Research Analyst at LittleSis, said:

“Jeff Yass’ fingerprints are all over this budget. Once again, lawmakers are giving away our public tax dollars to corporations with no accountability and refusing to make billionaires pay their fair share. Pennsylvania’s budget should steel us against the looming crisis of Trump’s inevitable attacks on health care and education. Instead, the governor is proposing billions in tax cuts for the biggest corporations.”