States love to spend our hard earned money. The least they can do is tell us what they’re doing with our dollars! 🤑
PA’s latest budget had some really great gems inside. 💎 Thankfully, they’re not taking your taxpayer dollars to the nearest casino (we don’t think). 🥳
Here’s Five Fast Facts on what’s in the PA budget:
- 🌅 Brighter Days - PA schools are going solar! State school districts now have access to funding to install solar panels and shrink that carbon footprint. The budget provides $25 million in grants that schools can use to fund 30% to 50% of their solar projects.
- 🤔 Forget Me Not - Dementia is no joke and PA’s taking it seriously. The budget includes a directive for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to create the state’s first office dedicated to supporting dementia initiatives. The initiative will serve 200,000 PA residents with dementia. The money will come from the lottery fund and a portion of the Tobacco Settlement will go towards Alzheimer’s research.
- 🛍️ Mall Madness - Let’s hit up the old mall, shall we? PA’s latest budget includes a cool $10 million through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to rehab old malls and turn them into commercial and residential projects. PS - check out this article we wrote about PA malls a while back.
- 👮 A Bite Out of Crime - PA’s funding crime prevention through programs for at-risk youth. The budget directs PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency to provide $11.5 million in grants to schools and community-based nonprofits for before and after school programs as well as programs over summer break. Another $13 million will get split between Philly and Pittsburgh firearms task forces.
- 😎 Fun and Games - There’s nothing like a PA getaway. The PA tourism office will get $19.3 million to promote statewide cultural and arts activities. They’ll also get a million bucks towards the development of a statewide competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
🔥Bottom line: Bonus gem: the budget also includes a $10 million program to attract new agricultural businesses to the Keystone State. The money would support innovations in energy efficiency, water quality, and reduced water consumption and odors. What kind of odors? We’d rather not know.
Will any of these new programs impact you?
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