Issues

On day one, Stacy Garrity will lift the ban on new drilling sites that is holding Pennsylvania back and call a Special Session on Energy to fast-track permits for natural gas production, pipelines, and power plants; eliminate duplicative and outdated regulations; set firm timelines for approvals; roll back costly mandates; and reform or pause renewable energy and efficiency mandates.

These steps will expand energy generation capacity and spur downstream manufacturing. Done right, Pennsylvania can generate 200,000 jobs and $6 billion in revenue for state and local communities – allowing us to dig out of Josh Shapiro’s $5 billion budget deficit and deliver meaningful tax relief for all Pennsylvanians.

Josh Shapiro’s Green New Deal policies and the rapidly increasing demand for energy have sent utility rates skyrocketing – making life less affordable for Pennsylvania families. Pennsylvania has failed to deliver new energy for more than a decade, leaving us unable to meet current demand.

During the Special Session on Energy Affordability, the Garrity-Richey Administration will cut taxes and eliminate hidden costs on electric bills, roll back or eliminate the gross receipts tax on utilities, end tax stacking on energy bills, require full transparency of all taxes and surcharges, and fast-track bringing new power plants online to meet demand and keep costs low. We will replace consumption taxes with production-driven growth and slash utility bills by 15% to 25%.

Expanding the Commonwealth’s energy infrastructure will increase in-state generation capacity, ensuring reliable and affordable energy while improving the grid. This will reduce exposure to volatile regional pricing, lower the overall cost of living, and make housing, food, goods, and services more affordable.

Seniors should be able to stay in the homes they spent a lifetime building. Young people should be able to afford to buy their first home. And all families should be able to keep their homes without an ever-rising property tax burden.

The Garrity-Richey Administration will launch the Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere (HOPE for PA) initiative. HOPE for PA will redirect existing state spending, investment accounts, and interest earnings toward property tax rebates for homeowners.

HOPE for PA will reduce the property tax burden by one-third within the first two years and rein in the growth of government that drives up local property taxes. The plan also supports first-time homebuyers through a new program in which the Commonwealth covers up to 3% of mortgage interest rates.

Pennsylvania state government should place the people – not politicians, special interests, or a broken system – first. Five key steps to put Pennsylvanians first:

1. Pass Voter ID – It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat. Every voter should be a U.S. citizen and show ID.
2. Put Students First – Pennsylvania spends more than $23,000 per student, yet outcomes are declining. 50% of third graders cannot read at grade level, and math proficiency remains low. More spending is not solving the problem. Students need opportunity, and parents need to be in control of their children’s education by passing Lifeline Scholarships, investing in and expanding the state’s existing scholarship programs (Education Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit), and opting in to the Federal Education Tax Credit scholarship program. These scholarship programs will unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in funding that will expand access to tutoring, literacy, and STEM programs; help students escape failing schools; and increase opportunity regardless of ZIP code or income. If Pennsylvania does not opt in to the federal program, Pennsylvania taxpayers will still fund it while the Commonwealth’s students receive nothing in return.
3. Protect Girls’ Sports – Democratic leaders in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently canceled a vote recognizing Women’s History Month over objections related to defining what a woman is. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect for who they are, man or woman, as God made them. For generations, we have fought to ensure female athletes have a level playing field. Allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports is unfair and unsafe. We will end it. We will protect girls’ sports and stand up for every young woman’s right to compete and succeed.
4. Root Out Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in State Government – Josh Shapiro once claimed state government is riddled with $3 billion in fraud. Instead of addressing fraud as Attorney General, he focused on increasing state spending as Governor – raising the risk of even more waste. Taxpayers deserve better. The Garrity–Richey Administration will require reform plans before funding is approved; audit state agencies from top to bottom; identify and eliminate waste and fraud; hold bad actors accountable; and use savings to reduce the deficit and lower the burden on taxpayers.
5. Restore Transparency and Accountability to State Government – Transparency and accountability will be the hallmark of the Garrity-Richey Administration. The cover-ups, secret settlements, and deleted emails that have occurred time and again under Josh Shapiro’s leadership will end. Individuals will be held accountable. Trust will be restored by requiring agencies to preserve all evidence, launching independent investigations, and banning taxpayer-funded settlements for sexual harassment claims.