- 6/2/2025
On Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) held a press briefing to discuss plans to increase funding for mass transit across Pennsylvania.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, good morning. Welcome to Rabbit Transit, the capital region office. We're glad
00:06to have you here to talk about a very important topic. Before we begin with our comments, I would
00:10just like to take a moment to introduce some of the folks that are with us. We have Senator Patty
00:15Kim, and we have Representative Justin Fleming, Representative Dave Mattson, Secretary Carroll,
00:23Logan Hoover from Senator McCormick's office. I have some board members from Rabbit Transit I'd
00:27like to introduce. We have Eric Bugel, the chairman, Ray Rosen, the vice chair, the treasurer, Keith
00:34Martin, and Jason Graves is in the back there. So thank you very much for being here with us today.
00:43So I'd like to thank the governor for your bold leadership on transit funding, and thank you for
00:49bringing us together today to address Pennsylvania's most pressing need. Today we fight for Pennsylvania
00:54families, families who depend on public transit every single day. The governor's proposal to fix
01:01the transit crisis isn't just a smart policy. It's a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of
01:07Pennsylvanians. Governor Shapiro understands what I see every day in our transit system. He knows that
01:13when we talk about transit funding, we're talking about Maria, who takes the bus three times a week
01:17to dialysis to save her life. We're talking about James, a veteran, who says to me, without shared ride
01:24bus picking me up at my house, I would not be able to get to my chemo appointments. And we're also
01:28talking about Sarah, a mother, working mother, who uses the bus and says, I can provide for my family.
01:35Let's be clear about the stakes. Without action, we're facing service cuts that will hit our most
01:41vulnerable population the hardest. Right now, transit systems across Pennsylvania are losing drivers
01:47because we can't compete with wages. We're operating on 60 to 120 minute headways that makes
01:53transit almost impractical for some riders. We're watching ridership demand surge. Ridership has
02:00increased 18.5 percent last year, while our ability to serve shrinks. The governor's plan changes this
02:08trajectory. With this investment, we can offer the competitive wages to attract and retain skilled
02:13workers. We can improve frequency and reliability. We can install basic amenities like shelters and
02:19benches so passengers don't have to wait in the rain or the snow. It's it's just not about helping
02:26transit riders, although that would be reason enough, right? It's about Pennsylvania's economic
02:32competitiveness. Transit agencies invest millions annually in the Pennsylvania businesses. Every dollar
02:38invested in public transit yields four dollars back to the economy. When businesses look where to locate
02:44and expand, they want to know their workers can get to work reliably and affordably. The governor gets
02:50this. He understands that a robust transit system reduces congestion for everyone, supports local
02:56businesses, and brings customers to their doors and helping seniors age in place with dignity and
03:03independence. This is not a big city issue. Transit serves all 67 counties, rural and urban alike. Whether
03:12you're taking a fixed route bus in our city or a shared ride program in the rural communities across the
03:18thousands of square miles, this funding increases the strengths increases the strength of the backbone of
03:24our mobility across Pennsylvania. We need to act now. Every day we delay means more service cuts, more
03:31foreign fare increases, and more Pennsylvanians left without transportation that need access to jobs,
03:38health care, and opportunity. That's why I'm so grateful for the governor's leadership. He's not
03:42waiting for the crisis to get worse. He's stepping up with a solution that works for Pennsylvania families,
03:48Pennsylvania businesses, and Pennsylvania communities. I urge everyone, legislators, business leaders,
03:54community advocates, and citizens across the Commonwealth to join the governor in supporting this critical
03:59investment for Pennsylvania's future. Because when we invest in transit, we invest in opportunity.
04:05When we strengthen transit, we strengthen Pennsylvania. Thank you, Governor, for your
04:10leadership. Thank you for standing with transit. And thank you for showing that Pennsylvania can lead
04:14when it comes to connecting our communities and creating opportunities for all. And with that,
04:20I get to introduce the great governor of Pennsylvania, Josh. Thank you. Thank you very, very much.
04:27Thank you, Rich. Let me just pick up where Rich left off. And I want to thank him for his leadership
04:34here at Rabbit Transit. Rich talked about how mass transit is an issue that affects all Pennsylvanians,
04:41all 67 counties. This isn't just some big city issue, as I think, as you said it, we know how vitally
04:48important rabbit transit is here in South Central Pennsylvania, especially for our seniors who need
04:55these resources to be able to get around. And so I want to say thank you for your leadership of this
05:01important transit agency. And thank you for highlighting such a critically important role
05:08for government to play. And that is building out our infrastructure so that people have the ability
05:14to get around, to get to their medical appointments, to get to work, to get to school, to get to go out
05:20and recreate as they would like. And so as governor, I think it is critically important that we are there
05:27for agencies like this, and most importantly, the people that they serve. I think some of you were with
05:34me a few months ago when I was at a rural bridge in Mannheim, in rural Lancaster County. I believe the bridge
05:41was called the Rife Run Bridge. And that was a day where we were opening up yet another bridge that
05:47the Commonwealth had repaired. In fact, under Secretary Carroll's leadership, I'm proud of the fact that we
05:54have repaired more structurally deficient bridges than any other state in the entire country. Any other
06:02state in the entire country. You know I'm competitive as hell. I like to be number one. And under Secretary
06:08Carroll's leadership we are when it comes to fixing bridges. It was there that day that I got the
06:13chance to speak to a mom who was talking about how her life was made better because the Commonwealth
06:18invested in our infrastructure. She could get to work more quickly. She could get home to her kids
06:26more quickly. And she could make sure that there was less time in her day being stuck commuting as
06:31opposed to being with her family and at work and doing the things that she enjoyed. We need to be there
06:38for that mom. We need to continue to invest in our roads and in our bridges. But we also need to be
06:45there for the mom that rides rapid transit. We also need to be there for the senior that gets to his or her
06:51medical appointments here on rapid transit. We need to be there for all Pennsylvanians no matter how they
06:58get around. It is critically important that we provide for them which is why it is critically important
07:05that we invest in mass transit. I am mindful that for as important as those roads and bridges
07:13are and we have repaired more lanes of roads than at any other time in the last decade and you as you
07:21heard me say before more bridges than any other state in the country. I'm mindful that for a lot of
07:27folks getting a church, getting a school, getting to work, I'll tell you what over a rural bridge. It takes
07:33them on a bus like one of those that we have here to repairing those roads and bridges in our rural and
07:42suburban communities. We need to also be prepared to step up for those who rely on mass transit.
07:49That's why last year, Representative Fleming and Representative Madsen who join us here today
08:07and make special mention of the fact that Senator Kim, when she was Representative Kim in 2024,
08:13all three of them voted for this funding and all three of them are prepared to do it again.
08:19Unfortunately, the Senate failed to act and we find ourselves here in a position where we are now
08:26facing a crisis situation when it comes to mass transit. Now the Senate has asked me to consider
08:33marrying new funding for mass transit to road and bridge funding and I of course said yes. In fact,
08:40we've been doing that and I look forward to doing more of it. The Senate asked us to consider different
08:45types of revenue sources so we could have ongoing funding for mass transit and I of course said yes,
08:53but so far the Senate has yet to act. I believe this is unfinished business for us and for the millions
08:59of Pennsylvanians who rely on public transit every single day. I think it's also important to note that
09:06two-thirds of the people who ride on a bus here or a trolley or a train somewhere else, well two-thirds
09:14of them do not have other means of transportation. So this sort of idea that well if you can't catch the
09:21bus you can hop in your car and still get there, that option doesn't exist for two-thirds of the people
09:26that jump on these buses. No way to get to that doctor's appointment, to the grocery store,
09:31the pharmacy, to school, or to work. It's a big deal for people who rely on public transit, especially
09:38here those who do so in the Harrisburg area. Every day 10,000 people here use Rabbit transit buses to
09:46get to work, school, medical appointments, and a whole lot more. Imagine what would happen if these buses
09:53weren't available. Students would have a harder time getting to school. Employers would have a much
09:59harder time filling vacancies and our overall economy in South Central Pennsylvania will suffer
10:05if we do not invest in mass transit. We can't let that happen. Under my plan Rabbit Transit here in
10:13South Central Pennsylvania would get a funding increase of 5.7 million dollars this year,
10:18bringing our entire state investment up to 29.3 million dollars. Critical funding for this agency.
10:26That's a lifeline not just for the people of Dauphin, York, and Cumberland counties who depend on public
10:32transit, but also importantly for the businesses that depend on public transit to bring employees to
10:38work. It's one of the reasons why so many different regional chambers of commerce from all across
10:44Pennsylvania are calling on the legislature to pass my transit package, put it on my desk so we can sign
10:51it and so we can fund this important initiative when it comes to investing in our infrastructure.
10:59Strong public transportation is a crucial component of strengthening our economy and making
11:06Pennsylvania a far more competitive state. Mass transit drives 5.4 billion dollars of economic activity
11:14every single year in Pennsylvania. It's logical. You don't need some fancy analyst to explain to you
11:21that if folks can't get to work, that employer can't produce their product, can't deliver their service,
11:28can't make sure we make lives better. This is a major selling point. Our mass transit agencies
11:35to companies that are looking to move here in our commonwealth. I meet with CEOs all the time and
11:41encourage them to choose Pennsylvania and many of them do and when we talk a big part of what they
11:47ask me about is about our roads and our bridges and our mass transit systems and it is high time that
11:53we fund all of them. Our roads, our bridges, and our mass transit. It is a critically important piece
12:00of this budget and I'm hopeful that we will be able to get it done by continuing our long-term trend of
12:08bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get stuff done here in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
12:14This isn't some partisan issue. This makes good sense economically. This makes good sense for our
12:20schools. This makes good sense for everyday Pennsylvanians who rely on mass transit and it's time we get this
12:27done together. So I want to thank all of those who are assembled here today for the leadership that they
12:32have shown especially to those who represent you in the General Assembly. You are I think really
12:39privileged here in Dauphin County to have such fine representatives in Senator Kim, Representative Manson
12:44and Representative Fleming. I know they're prepared to vote again to fund mass transit. I hope others in
12:51this region are as well because it will be good for everyone involved. I want to thank the Secretary of
12:57Transportation, Secretary Carroll, who works hard every day whether you get there by bus or you get
13:02there by car or some other means of transportation to make sure people can get there safely and on time
13:08and he does an outstanding job for us in the commonwealth. It is now my pleasure to invite Sean
13:14Wilson up to say a few words. Sean has first-hand experience about how important it is to fund mass
13:21transit and have a strong functioning mass transit system here in South Central Pennsylvania. Sean Wilson,
13:28the floor is yours. The floor is yours. Thank you Governor. Thank you for your speech.
13:35Good morning. Good morning. My name is Sean Wilson
13:41and for more than 29 years I have had the honor of serving as a transit operator with CAT and now
13:49Rabbit Transit. Every day I get behind the wheel knowing that I'm not driving a bus, not just driving a bus. I'm
13:57providing a lifeline to my community. In nearly three decades on these routes I've seen firsthand how
14:06public transit transit transforms lives. I've driven the same dialysis patients three times a week for
14:13years watching them fight for their life and knowing that without my bus they might not make it to their next
14:21treatment. I've picked up veterans heading to VA appointments, workers getting to jobs and support
14:32and that support their families and seniors who depend on us to maintain independence and dignity.
14:39Just last week a passenger told me, Sean, I have less stress knowing I can get to work.
14:45I have steady income for my family now. That's what we do. We don't just move people from point A to B.
14:56We connect families to paychecks, patients to healthcare and communities to opportunities.
15:02That's right. And myself,
15:04I have developed long relationships through my occupation as a fixed route operator with CAT and Rabbit.
15:16But I'll be honest with you, we're facing serious challenges. We're competing with fast food
15:23restaurants for drivers because our wages can't keep up. Good colleagues I've worked with for years are
15:30leaving for jobs at distribution centers that pay the same as driving a 40 foot bus safely through
15:38traffic while caring for vulnerable passengers. That's not right. This is why Governor Shapiro's
15:45proposal to increase transit is so important. With millions of trips and fixed route and nearly a
15:52million routes on share rides, we know the man is there. Every Pennsylvania benefits from strong
15:59public transit, whether they ride the bus or not. We've reduced traffic congestion, support economic
16:05growth and help business by getting workers to their jobs and customers to their doors. For 29 years,
16:14I've been proud to serve this community. But without adequate funding, we risk losing
16:20experienced operators and cutting services to the people who need it most.
16:25We can't let that happen. I am here to stand with Governor Shapiro and the others to communicate the
16:34importance for transit funding proposal. Help us continue connecting Pennsylvania's to jobs,
16:39health care and independence. Help us maintain the dignity and quality of life that public transfer
16:47provides to hundreds of thousands of residents across our Commonwealth. Thank you for your time and thank you for
16:53supporting the vital work we do every day. Thank you Governor. Thank you. Really good job. And now at this
17:02time, I would like to introduce Secretary Mike Carroll. Good morning everybody. I'm Mike Carroll,
17:13the PennDOT Secretary and I'm thrilled today to be here with Governor Shapiro and the folks at Rabbit to bring this
17:19important message to Central South Central PA, but really to the entire Commonwealth. Pennsylvania's
17:25economic growth relies on our ability to build out a transportation network that puts our tradespeople
17:33to work, strengthens our businesses and improves Pennsylvanians lives. In the first two years,
17:40the Shapiro administration delivered over 380 million dollars in new funding for roads and bridges.
17:46In 2023, as the governor said, Pennsylvania repaired more poor condition bridges than any other state in
17:54the nation. PennDOT and our industry partners repaired thousands of miles of roadway more than any time
18:01in the last 10 years. But, and here's the but, we must meet everyone's transportation needs. To grow our economy
18:10and our communities, our infrastructure and public transit systems must both be properly funded. Transit
18:20is critical in Pennsylvania. On average 65% of fixed route transit users say they have no other choice,
18:29no other option to get to where they need to go. Nearly 59% of people using rabbit transit have no other
18:37choice and no other option. That's why Governor Shapiro budget makes an unprecedented investment in mass
18:43transit across Pennsylvania the first time in 10 years. But we've been here before. Governor Shapiro
18:50proposed this solution last year. The House thankfully acted on the governor's proposal three separate
18:57times. But the Senate did not act. So Governor Shapiro and our Democratic legislators secured an 80 million
19:04dollar stop gap in last year's budget to buy us the time to get us to June 30th this year.
19:12It's nearly June 30th. The governor again has proposed the first significant transit investment over a decade,
19:19totaling 292 million dollars for transit systems across Pennsylvania. We need our legislator legislature
19:29to meet Pennsylvania's current and future public transit needs just as we need to meet needs on roads
19:38and bridge road bridge network across the Commonwealth. To give you all an idea of the scale of transit in
19:44Pennsylvania. Last year, Pennsylvania's transit agencies combined provided over 260 million fixed route
19:52trips. Those are on buses and trolleys and trains. 25 million of those were senior trips, including millions
20:01of trips in rural Pennsylvania, including our most rural counties, Forest and Sullivan. There is transit in every
20:09county in this Commonwealth. There is especially in rural PA. There's a huge need to make sure we have
20:15a fully functioning shared ride program. No matter the service type, transit providers across the state
20:23are dealing with workforce challenges and rising costs. The investment proposed by the governor would
20:29help stabilize this service and forego service reductions or fair increases.
20:34You know, shared ride support seniors quality of life and it powers our economy. It provides opportunity no
20:45matter where you live and opportunities delivered by transit just as it is with roads and bridges.
20:53It is important to note the Shapiro administration's commitment to all Pennsylvanians and that includes safe,
20:58reliable public transit as safe, reliable modes of transportation across the board.
21:05I'm proud to stand here today with Governor Shapiro and the advocates and the Rabbit Transit folks to make
21:10sure that people understand the importance of this conversation. The time has come. We need to fund transit
21:17and I'm thrilled to be a partner with the governor and everyone else across our Commonwealth that
21:21understand the importance. And I'm thrilled now to have the opportunity to introduce a really important
21:26voice in all of this. You know, those of us that wear a suit and come to events like this
21:32have an important message to deliver. But we're about to hear from somebody that uses transit on a regular
21:38basis here in the Harrisburg area. And that's Lou Deal. And Lou, I'm going to ask you to come to the
21:43microphone and share your personal experience and the importance of transit here in Harrisburg. Lou Deal.
21:48Thank you, Secretary. Yes, my name is Lou Deal. And I guess the point of my story is about investment. When I was 19 years
22:03old, I began to lose the remainder of my eyesight. I called the Office of Oak Rehab and its Bureau of Blindness and Visual
22:09Services to start getting services. At that time, I went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to learn how to read braille,
22:18orientation mobility services, using a white cane, getting around neighborhoods. And the great part of that service
22:25was I got to learn the mass transit system in the city of Pittsburgh.
22:29The money invested in me at that time allowed me to continue that training, graduate from college,
22:38meet the woman of my dreams, start a career of 30 plus years. And for the last 25 or for 25 years of
22:48those 30 years, mass transit has helped me every step of the way. I had opportunities to do jobs,
22:57training for vocational purposes, learn technology, and help other folks with disabilities be more
23:06independent and achieve their vocational goals. At the time, when I was in grad school, the stat was
23:14for every $1 of vocational rehabilitation service invested in a person with a disability, that person
23:22would create $10 of tax revenue. Mr. Farr told me this morning that right now for every $1 it's vested
23:30in mass transit, creates about $4 to $5 of tax revenue. That's what it's all about. It's about
23:37investment. Don't look at it as look at it as an object or a problem to be solved. Focus on investment,
23:45connecting people to jobs, health care, food safety, and a variety of other opportunities.
23:52Now it is indeed my great pleasure to introduce to you Senator Patty Kim.
23:56Thank you so much for your story. I just wish I could stand up here and say what Lou said and leave,
24:12but I will read my speech. You probably have one of the most convincing stories as to why we need more
24:17transit, mass transit funding. Thank you Governor Shapiro for continuing to shine a light on one of
24:24the most critical lifelines for so many of the good folks here in Dauphin County. Whether you're a
24:29Harrisburg University student taking a bus to get to class, a senior citizen using paired transit to
24:35get to an important medical appointment, or a worker trying to catch their shift to support a family
24:40in the 15th district and beyond. The Susquehanna Regional Transit Authority is being led with renewed
24:47passion, vision, and efficiency by Executive Director Richard Farr. Rich actively searches for ways to cut
24:54costs and works every day to find efficiencies that benefits riders. He's the kind of leader who will
25:00maximize state funding while keeping the focus where it belongs on serving our communities. Thank you so much
25:06for hosting us rich and your team. House bill 1364 will direct nearly 300 million dollars in new funding
25:15to the commonwealth transit agencies including septa, PRT, Susquehanna Regional Transit Authority and rural
25:22communities. We all recognize that Harrisburg is not Philly or Pittsburgh, but that makes this funding no
25:28less critical for our city and region. Simply put, the capital region will see improved access to public
25:34transportation options that help them make life happen. Think about it. And it's most recent year
25:42reported, Rapid Transit provided 3.3 million trips and served an average of nearly 120,000 riders per
25:50month in Dauphin, Cumberland counties. In addition, Rapid Transit provides seniors with over 40,000
25:56paratransit rides and over 30,000 to individuals with a disability. Ask yourself, without Rapid Transit,
26:04where would they go? Once the House sends this bill to the Senate, I am ready to support it,
26:10but we need the Senate Republicans to bring it up for a vote. They had several opportunities,
26:15as said earlier, to get it done and there was no, and there's no more time to waste. It has to cross
26:21the finish line this year so we can provide the resources transit needs over the next critical five
26:26years. I think of the restaurant server who wants desperately to make more money
26:33because their restaurant is slow. She gets a call from her boss to fill in for someone,
26:37but she can't make it because the bus schedule is limited. This story plays out across every industry
26:43where workers depend on public transit, folks missing out on extra shifts, second jobs and career
26:48opportunities simply because they can't get there. Transportation is one of the biggest barriers to
26:54financial stability. It makes me think of the saying when you have when you hand good people
27:01possibility, they do great things. Let's work in a bipartisan effort to connect our constituents
27:07to their possibilities and to their lives. Governor Shapiro came up with the solution to fix our mass
27:13transit problem. I'm here to support it and urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.
27:18I'm now going to call back Governor Shapiro back to the podium. I've been doing this for so long,
27:24he's going to make a joke that the hard questions go to me and the easy ones go to him.
27:29So I said it for you.
27:31Thanks, Senator Kim. I do want to note for the record that I invited represent Madsen,
27:39represent Fleming to say a few words and I think they basically just said amen, right?
27:43They endorse everything that was said, right? Especially what Lou said. Lou,
27:49I want to thank you for being here today and for letting folks know what this is really all about.
27:55The folks who ride these buses here and trains and trolleys elsewhere and subways and all kinds
28:02of mass transit to get them where they need to go. And Lou, I was especially touched by what you said
28:07about working with OVR. That has been such a priority for my wife, Lori, our first lady,
28:13making sure that OVR not only gets funded, but that the work goes on there in just a really
28:21important and impactful way. And so it's wonderful for us to be able to meet you here, Lou,
28:26and we thank you for your work. Sean, I want to say thank you for representing all of the amazing
28:32workers that literally make these buses run, that fix these buses, that get people where they need to
28:39go. It matters the work you do. So thank you very, very, very much. Rich, thank you for your leadership
28:45here and pulling this all together. I know it is not easy running a transit agency
28:50in today's world. And so I thank you for doing it the way you do. And then finally,
28:55let me thank just really one of the most critically important voices in my cabinet,
29:01Secretary Mike Carroll, who leads PennDOT and has been such a partner in all the progress
29:06that we have made. So thank you, Mr. Secretary. I appreciate that. And with that, Patty, sorry,
29:12did you want to take? I'm just kidding. Good. Tom, you're up. Governor, how far apart are you
29:19with Senate Republicans on getting some of these things done? And when's the last time you sat down?
29:22Yeah, we've been having ongoing dialogue. I think we all understand it's important to do something on
29:28roads, especially in bridges and mass transit. And I think we're going to find a way to solve this
29:33problem. Look, I think what you've seen over the last couple budget cycles, over the last two and a
29:37half years, is we know how to come together and get stuff done. As a governor with a divided legislature,
29:43I'm very mindful of the fact that the only bills that reach my desk are ones that enjoy Republican
29:49and Democratic support. And I trust we'll be able to do that again this time. The Senate has made clear
29:55that they've got different ideas or they've got ideas. I shouldn't say different ideas on different
30:00funding streams. And I'm open to those. And they've made clear that they want to do something on roads
30:06as well as on mass transit. And I'm open to that as well. And there's no reason why we can't come together
30:11on this. Support or sign a budget, a final budget deal that does not include mass transit funding. Yeah,
30:17I'm not going to get into the hypotheticals here. This is important. I think it's important to everybody.
30:22I know that there are lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that want to see this get done. And
30:26we're going to work hard to get it done. I proposed it back in February. I continue to push it. And I
30:31know lawmakers are now returning to the Capitol for some intense work over the next few weeks. And
30:37I trust that this will be part of it. Governor, how concerned are you about a broad economic downturn
30:44that would hurt the state's revenues for transit and everything else? I ask because the
30:48revenue department report in April showed some softness in corporate taxes. How much concern
30:55is there that you're going to see just kind of everything coming in under budget? Yeah,
31:00our revenues are fine. And we're going to be fine in this budget. I am, of course,
31:04worried about the broader national trends that we are seeing, a downturn in consumer confidence,
31:10a rise in prices, I think, primarily due to these tariffs. The impact, I can't state enough,
31:19just how devastating the impacts will be on Pennsylvania. If the bill that passed in the
31:25U.S. House becomes law, it will mean over 300,000, about 310,000 Pennsylvanians losing Medicaid,
31:33140,000 Pennsylvanians losing SNAP, which is what they rely on to get their food. We've got 25 rural
31:43hospitals that right now are operating on a deficit who would likely have to shutter if these Medicaid
31:52cuts go into effect. It was unfortunate to me that your local representative here voted for it. I mean,
31:59I've never heard of a congressman voting to actually kick their constituents off of those life-saving
32:06services, be it health care or food stamps or food services. It is my hope that cooler heads will
32:12prevail in the Senate. I know Senator McCormick and I have talked about these issues. I know he's deeply
32:18concerned about the impacts to, you know, to Pennsylvanians and what these cuts will mean for them. And
32:25I'm hopeful that the Senate will understand that and work to pass a bill that ultimately protects
32:31Pennsylvania. That is my primary concern right now when I think about the broader economy is the
32:39negative impact of these tariffs and these cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that I think are really going to
32:44have quite a harmful effect on Pennsylvania.
32:48I'm sorry, who are you? Just state your name if you don't mind.
32:55Dennis Owens, ABC 12. Oh, Dennis Owens. So normally someone shows up and reads a question from Dennis
33:01Owens. I never knew what you looked like.
33:07To get to the 200 million, one and three quarter additional points on the sales tax will go to
33:13mass transit. What is getting that 220 million now that won't get it if this were to happen?
33:20I'm not sure I follow what you're, I want to answer your question. I'm not sure I'm following where
33:26Increase the sales tax, the percentage of the sales tax money going to the fund.
33:30Not increase the sales tax, but take up about one and three quarters of what
33:34already comes in in the sales tax and divert that to mass transit.
33:38What is it getting converted away from? I guess is what the question is. What's,
33:42what is that paying for right now that wouldn't if we instead give the money?
33:46I understand your question. So, and Dennis, I was just busting your chops before, but it's good to
33:50see you here. For those of you who don't know, people show up and say, I have a question from Dennis
33:55Owens. Then they read the question. Then I bust his chops for not being there to read the question
34:00himself. But look, these, the sales tax revenue that comes in goes into our general fund. And then
34:07like everything else in our budget negotiations, it's a decision whether it goes here or there or
34:13somewhere else. I think it is really important that we not only fund mass transit, but we do so on an
34:18ongoing basis. And so I proposed one way to do that, which is to basically set aside this one and
34:24three quarter percent of our sales tax to this year and in future years go to mass transit.
34:31I know that there are others in the house and in the Senate who have proposed other ideas for
34:35recurring revenue. I am open to those conversations. I'm open to making sure the different ideas get
34:43vetted. But what I think is critically important is that we select one of those revenue sources
34:49and then to be done on an ongoing basis. You heard Secretary Carroll talk before about how
34:55I provided a lifeline to get us to June 30th last year. That was one-time funding. We can't have
35:00one-time funding anymore for mass transit. It needs to be on a recurring ongoing basis. The sales tax is
35:06one way to do it. There are others and we're going to work through that over the next few weeks.
35:11I have a question from Dennis Owens.
35:13Well played. No, I just wanted to ask about the new funding tax revenue proposed for legalizing
35:22recreational marijuana, skills-based games. Can you give us an update on what those discussions look
35:27like? Is your goal still to have it? We've had some good conversations that have been ongoing,
35:31particularly on the skill game side. I think folks understand the importance of finally regulating and
35:38taxing both of those issues and we're going to continue to work through it over the next few
35:43weeks here. We've had really good honest dialogue about it.
35:45Do you still have it legalized in line with the June 30th budget deadline?
35:49That's my hope. I mean, look, I think this is an issue of, you're talking now
35:53about recreational marijuana. I think this is an issue of competitiveness. Every state around us,
35:59with the exception of West Virginia, has gotten it done. You go visit some of these dispensaries along
36:05our border. In this case with Maryland is probably the closest one here. Sixty percent of the people
36:10walking into those dispensaries are from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It's true in Ohio,
36:14it's true in New York, it's true in Jersey. The reality is we've got to catch up. And instead of going
36:20and funding schools and parks and roads and bridges and mass transit in other states, I want those revenues
36:26to stay here in Pennsylvania. I also think it's really important that we regulate what is now a black
36:31market system. And it is critically important that we have a justice component to this and wipe away
36:38the convictions of those who have on their record possession of small amounts of marijuana.
36:44It's time to have some justice in that space as well. So I'm hopeful we'll be able to get it done.
36:48The Senate, pardon me, the House passed a measure a few weeks ago. It was supported by
36:55these two representatives here. I called it at the time sort of an opening salvo in this. The Senate
37:01has different ideas. They should put their ideas on the table. But we can't cede this ground to other
37:06states. It's time for Pennsylvania to be more competitive and I'm hopeful we'll get this done.
37:12I'm worried. Are you betting federal funding in this budget? Because there's a lot of money that's
37:17potentially at stake here and you don't know what's going to happen. Well, as I said before,
37:20I'm deeply concerned about the Medicaid cuts. 300 plus thousand Pennsylvanians will lose health care.
37:27Over 100,000 will lose food assistance. Hospitals and rural communities could shutter as a result of
37:33this. In addition to that, we've seen billions of dollars illegally cut from Pennsylvania. I've had to
37:41sue the federal government and I've sued successfully each time and maintained those funds coming into
37:48Pennsylvania. As the federal government prepares to pass a budget, it is my hope that they will not
37:55make deeper cuts to Pennsylvania. And it is certainly my hope that our federal representatives wouldn't
38:01vote for something that takes something away from Pennsylvania students or Pennsylvania seniors and
38:07everybody in between. These are times of real worry. We've got our house in order in Pennsylvania.
38:13We've got a surplus. We've got a balanced budget. I've proposed critical investments like mass transit
38:19as well as tax cuts for small businesses and families who are trying to afford child care.
38:25We can do all that and maintain all that in Pennsylvania. It gets far harder if our folks
38:31in Washington cut funding that we rely on here in Pennsylvania. So we got our act together. I hope
38:36they get theirs together. Thanks, everybody. What's the latest as you know it after Friday's rally?
38:42Yeah, I think the ball is in the president's court. He made his big announcement in Pittsburgh on on
38:49Friday. And look, I'm obviously quite pleased that we're going to be able to protect steel making here
38:54in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. But no one has signed the documents for Nippon to acquire U.S. Steel.
39:01The president, I think, acknowledged when he landed back in I believe he was in D.C.,
39:07that he has yet to review the final document. He has yet to sign off. Why is that important? Because
39:13this deal requires the approval of something known as CFIUS, which is a federal process that only the
39:19president of the United States can sign off on. Obviously, we know then President Biden did not sign
39:24off on it. So the president's given us every indication he will sign off on it. And then U.S. Steel and Nippon
39:30will have to sign the documents for that acquisition. And then we go forward. The key here
39:35is we're going to protect steel making in Pennsylvania. It will not just be something
39:39we read about in the history books. It will be something that is part of a growing industry in
39:44the Commonwealth. And that is critically important. And I've been working for the last year and a half
39:49with all parties involved, U.S. Steel, Nippon, the federal government, President Biden, President Trump,
39:54and many others to try and get this done. And so I'm grateful
39:58to all of the people who have been around the table to work on this. Grateful to Senator McCormick,
40:03who played a leading role in it. Grateful to many folks who got this done. And hopefully the
40:08documents will be signed real soon and the dollars will start flowing. The investments will be made and
40:13we'll be hiring a lot more steel workers in Pennsylvania. Thanks, everybody.