By Jan Murphy | pennlive.com (TNS)
This year’s governor’s budget address was different from usual, and it wasn't just about the $48.3 billion he wants to spend.
The governor's budget address took place in the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda for the first time ever on Feb. 6, with Gov. Josh Shapiro standing at a podium on a landing on the grand marble staircase with flags behind him. He delivered the longest budget speech. Perhaps he simply wanted to make sure taxpayers got their money's worth. since 2006.
His 86-minute, 31-second speech in that unique venue cost Pennsylvanians nearly $41,500, according to House of Representatives and Department of General Services responses to Right to Know requests. The cost was covered by the House and House Democratic Caucus.
The costs included: $462 for nuts, bolts, and other hardware items, $2,211 for credentials, $5,601 for Commonwealth Media Services, $24,142 for rental of projectors, screens, monitors, and installation cost, $9,059 for printing costs for signage and stickers.
Excluded from the costs was the increased security in the Capitol that day, including a heavy presence of Pennsylvania State Police troopers, Capitol Police, and House and Senate security officers.
Large screens and monitors provided a view of the governor for the several hundred spectators in attendance.
Shapiro acknowledged the unique location chosen for his budget address and thanked Madam Speaker [Joanna] McClinton during his remarks, but his spokesman declined further comment.
The 2024-2025 budget address ceremony was more elaborate this year due to the state of disrepair of the usual House chamber at the time.
Work to fix damage from a water leak in the chamber was completed earlier than expected but finished three days after the speech.
Nicole Reigelman, a spokeswoman for McClinton, D-Philadelphia, stated that this year's budget address presented challenges that were unprecedented in the history of the Capitol building and the General Assembly itself.
Some suggested using the Forum auditorium or the Senate chamber without the setup costs, but each location had its own obstacles.
The Rotunda served as a makeshift House chamber for a day, creating a remarkable backdrop for the gubernatorial address, and some useful pointers were learned during the preparation.
She said if the budget address has to be held outside the House chamber again, they will have learned lessons from 2024, although she hopes it won't happen.
©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Pennsylvania governor's budget address this year was different from previous ones, and it wasn't because of the $48.3 billion that Josh Shapiro wants to spend.
“This year’s budget address presented unique challenges outside of the state House’s control,” said Nicole Reigelman, a spokeswoman for McClinton, D-Philadelphia. “It was an unprecedented occasion in the 120-year-plus history of the Capitol building, if not the 342-year-plus history of the General Assembly itself.”
Some suggested that the Forum auditorium across the street from the Capitol or even the Senate chamber could have been used without requiring the set-up costs associated with the production in the Rotunda but Reigelman said each of those locations came with their own obstacles.
While preparing the Rotunda to serve as a makeshift House chamber for a day was a major undertaking – and made for a remarkable backdrop for a gubernatorial address, she said some useful pointers were learned.
“Should the budget address ever need to be hosted outside of the House chamber again – and hopefully it won’t – we will be armed with lessons from 2024,” she said.
©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
