By Rep. Abney
Summer in the state Capitol means a budget blitz. The state budget must be approved for the new fiscal year, so that gets much of the media attention out of Harrisburg — and understandably so, because it funds so many important initiatives.
Recently, House Democrats approved a compromise budget plan and sent it to the GOP-controlled Senate. It’s a pared-back version of Gov. Shapiro’s budget proposal, which still adds money for schools and other vital programs without raising taxes. Now we need the Senate to recognize what the House has already acknowledged — that it’s time to compromise.
However, the budget is not the only important legislation we have been focused on lately, and it is not my only priority. In fact, as the budget comes together, this time of year is a whirlwind in the Capitol as we consider many other worthwhile matters.
Put simply, we govern, and we govern on a wide range of issues.
Sometimes that means securing state funding for valuable local projects. For instance, we recently announced more than $1.4 million in funding for eight housing projects in Allegheny County.
That includes $250,000 to the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh for the renovation and adaptive reuse of an historic Northside property into 89 single-room occupancy units. It also includes $300,000 for the Horace Mann Village project in Marshall-Shadeland to create mixed-income housing with a focus on seniors and low-income workers, and $200,000 to the Charles Street Area Corp. to construct six new single-family homes on vacant land in Perry South for median-income buyers.
As for legislation, I am particularly proud to be backing a comprehensive package dubbed Momnibus 2.0, which focuses on improving birthing outcomes and confronts the staggering rate of Black maternal mortality and morbidity in Pennsylvania.
I am the sponsor of one of those bills. It is H.B. 1212, the Pennsylvania Dads Matter Act, which would encourage a father’s involvement in supporting a healthy pregnancy and birth. The legislation would direct the Department of Health to conduct a public awareness campaign about the importance of including fathers in the prenatal care and birthing process.
I am also pushing a newly introduced bill to tax digital advertisements to generate millions in revenue for the commonwealth. I am a co-sponsor of H.B. 1678, which would include digital ads in the gross receipt tax, which is set at 5%.
As it stands now, tech giants such as Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft benefit from running digital ads that are not subject to taxation. Pennsylvania can raise much-needed revenue for services such as transit and education by enacting this bill.
This is just a sampling. Other bills that cleared the House recently include plans to reform the state Tax Code by closing a corporate loophole and cutting taxes on workers’ overtime and tips, prohibit deepfake ads in Pennsylvania political campaigns, and providing bonuses of up to $1,000 for recruiting and retaining child-care teachers.
Important bills, no doubt — worth our time and attention. As your state representative, I remain committed to giving bills such as those, as well as our state budget, the time and attention they deserve.
State Rep. Aerion Abney represents the 19th Legislative District.
