Credit: PA Internet News Service
Gov. Tom Wolf has again thrown his support behind a proposal to send $2,000 checks directly to Pennsylvanians.
Earlier this week, Wolf, who leaves office in January 2023, stood by Democratic lawmakers in Delaware County to discuss the proposal that will be reintroduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
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Using $2 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, Wolf proposed in Feburary using $1.7 billion for the checks to Pennsylvanians.
Although Democratic state senators and representatives have proposed legislation to make the plan reality, the Republican-controlled legislature did not authorize money for the program during budget talks. Wolf, a Democrat, signed he budget without the payments in early July.
Households in Pennsylvania with incomes of $80,000 or less would receive direct payments of up to $2,000 under the recently proposed PA Opportunity Program, according to a co-sponsorship memo from Democratic lawmakers in the state House and Senate. The program intends to assist families that are still managing their finances in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and the rising cost of living.
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“This year’s budget made major investments in working families across the commonwealth, putting Pennsylvania on a pack to a brighter future, but we still have the funds to make this investment in the people of Pennsylvania right now,” Wolf said. “People need help now, and we can afford to help them. Let’s put this cash back in the pockets of Pennsylvanians, to help cover the higher costs of gas, groceries, and everything else.”
State Sen. Anthony Williams, a Democrat from Philadelphia, is a supporter of the proposal and said it would help provide families with help amid inflation.
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“This is money that can have a real impact on families,” Williams said.
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