Butler County News

State Representative Marci Mustello of Butler County has been actively participating in the state budget hearings in Harrisburg. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Mustello is tasked with reviewing budget proposals before they reach the full House of Representatives.

During the hearings, she engaged with leaders from various sectors, including seven agency heads, six college and university presidents, and two Supreme Court Justices. The discussions focused on Governor Josh Shapiro's $48.33 billion budget proposal.

“When you look at Gov. Shapiro’s overall budget proposal, $48.33 billion is an eye-popping total for expenditures,” Mustello stated. She emphasized the importance of scrutinizing funding requests to ensure that tax money is spent wisely for Pennsylvania's future.

Mustello expressed concerns about business closures in her district due to factors like pandemic-related shutdowns and regulatory challenges. She highlighted a particular issue involving potential job losses at a major steel manufacturer due to proposed environmental regulations by the U.S. Department of Energy.

“At this moment, my district has a serious concern with losing a major steel manufacturer and more than 1,000 jobs due to proposed environmental regulations from the U.S. Department of Energy," she said.

In response to these concerns, Mustello questioned the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding its role in supporting Pennsylvania employers and invited the DEP secretary to visit Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works plant to address these issues.

“This is why I invited the DEP secretary to visit the plant to help keep it open in face of job-killing Biden Administration regulations," she added.

Mustello also addressed improper payments made during the pandemic by questioning the Department of Labor and Industry about efforts to recover $1.8 billion in Unemployment Compensation payments.

“Last year, I was shocked to learn Pennsylvania is estimated to have made $1.8 billion in improper Unemployment Compensation payments,” Mustello noted.

She plans to work with colleagues on recovering improper payments and finding ways to retain and grow jobs in Pennsylvania while ensuring an affordable state budget.