Tell Governor Shapiro: It’s Time to Deliver on Your Promises!
Too many Pennsylvanians are suffering under skyrocketing energy prices. Tens of thousands of children are trapped in failing schools. Businesses and job-creators are leaving Pennsylvanian in droves.
Governor Shapiro promised to bring our commonwealth together with policies that will help all Pennsylvanians prosper. The governor promised to enact Lifeline Scholarships for children in underperforming schools, cut the corporate income tax for business, and curb rising energy costs for working families.
Now it’s time for Gov. Shapiro to deliver on those promises. Send a message to Gov. Shapiro now. Urge him to fulfill his campaign promises to help kids escape failing schools and help Pennsylvania reach its full economic potential.
Governor Shapiro’s Promises
On Helping Kids Escape Failing Schools
- The promise: “I’m for making sure we add scholarships like Lifeline scholarships” – Josh Shapiro, 9/17/22
- The result: In 2023, Gov. Shapiro vetoed Lifeline scholarships from his budget deal. Despite continuing to refer to this as “unfinished business,” he did not include Lifeline scholarships in his budget proposal, nor did he make any attempt to have them included in this year’s budget negotiations. Thousands of kids remain trapped in failing schools who would be helped by this program.
On Education Tax Credits
- The promise: “I want to … protect what we have on EITC and add more on those scholarships.” – Josh Shapiro, 10/3/22
- The result: While expansions have occurred, in each of his first two budget proposals, Shapiro included no increases. Democrats in the House have fought against increases and whittled down the amount of this year’s increase ($75 million in 2024 compared to $150 million in 2023). Shapiro further floated the idea of new tax credit scholarships (beyond EITC) in an interview on This Week in Pennsylvania, but when the Senate passed an expansive, universal education tax credit in 2024, Shapiro’s spokesman said the administration does not support the bill, without explaining why.
On High Energy Costs and a Carbon Tax
- The promise: “I have real concerns about the impact [the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative] will have on consumer prices, hurting families.” – Josh Shapiro, 10/17/22
- The result: Two days before Thanksgiving 2023, Gov. Shapiro announced he will use taxpayer resources to fight for a carbon tax (known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI) in court. The carbon tax will cost Pennsylvanians an estimated $800 million in electricity bills and undermine the reliability of our electrical grid. Shapiro is quietly embracing his predecessor’s radical policy despite expressing concern about its impact on families. Meanwhile, his new PACER/PRESS proposals would have the same result as RGGI on further driving up energy prices, while he continues his court battle to save RGGI. This is despite vowing to “work with the legislature” on addressing his concerns with RGGI.
On Corporate Net Income Tax
- The promise: “I want to take us from 9.99% … to 4%.” – Josh Shapiro, 10/28/22
- The result: Though Shapiro said he would accelerate the cut to 4% by 2025, he’s made no progress on this. He has not included this promise in either of his two budget proposals, nor has he endorsed legislation that would mirror this tax reduction.
On Permitting Reform
- The promise: “Josh will set short and clear timelines for permits and applications … and guarantee that a business receives a decision within that established time.” – Josh Shapiro, 7/25/22
- The result: Shapiro has taken symbolic executive action to provide refunds if permits take too long to be issued. But this did not address the underlying issue, and Republican-sponsored permitting reforms were included in the latest state budget, following negotiations. Ultimately, the governor has not effectively worked with the legislature to enact meaningful reforms.
On Expanding Telehealth Access
- The promise: “Josh will also expand telehealth services, strengthen the pipeline for health care providers in under-served areas…” – Josh Shapiro, 11/2/22
- The result: Shapiro did little to advance legislation expanding telehealth access despite strong support from the public for these services. Thankfully, a bipartisan bill to expand telehealth passed the House and Senate in June 2024, and Gov. Shapiro signed the bill on July 3. At the time of passage, Pennsylvania was one of only seven states that didn’t require insurers to pay for telehealth services.