By: Dan Bartkowiak, PA Family Council
The lone debate between Governor Josh Shapiro and Treasurer Stacy Garrity gave Pennsylvanians just one hour to hear directly from both candidates seeking to lead this Commonwealth next year.
The two moderators, ABC27 Central PA’s Dennis Owens and WPXI Pittsburgh’s Lisa Sylvester, covered roughly a dozen topics, from healthcare to state budgets to the ongoing debate over skill games. The moderators kept the discussion focused and professional. However, with this being the only debate scheduled, some important questions were left off the debate stage.
Here are three highlights from Pennsylvania’s lone gubernatorial debate:
Education Freedom Tax Credit: Will PA Opt-In?
A new federal education program, the Education Freedom Tax Credit, begins in 2027 and gives eligible Pennsylvania taxpayers an opportunity to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO), such as the Christian Education Network (CEN). These organizations can use those redirected tax credit contributions to fund scholarships that help families afford educational options, including private Christian education.
However, Pennsylvania’s participation to help local schools depends on Gov. Shapiro opting PA into the program by the end of this year. Thirty states have already committed to opting in. If Gov. Shapiro chooses not to opt-in, while Pennsylvania taxpayers may still redirect some of their tax liability to receive the credit, those scholarships will go to schools outside of Pennsylvania.
When asked about opting in during the debate, Governor Shapiro would not commit to an answer but said he’s “very open” to it. Stacy Garrity, by contrast, said she would opt Pennsylvania in on Day 1.
DOH Regulations: Why the Government Overreach?
One of Pennsylvania’s most recent political controversies involved proposed regulations by the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding communicable diseases. More than 500 pages of proposed regulatory changes drew widespread opposition from Pennsylvania citizens concerned with this unprecedented government overreach.
On September 25, the DOH withdrew their proposed regulations but “intends to make further revisions to the proposed rulemaking and resubmit it as a new proposed rulemaking at a future date.”
On the debate stage, Stacy Garrity called the proposed regulations “quite egregious.” She also thanked the thousands who submitted public comments, saying, “It’s because of you commenting during the comment period that they had to pull them back.”
Governor Shapiro did not directly address the issue of the proposed regulations from his own Department of Health.
Public engagement matters. This type of proposed regulation often garners just a handful of comments or less, yet thanks to thousands of citizens using alerts through PA Family, this proposal received over 10,000 comments, virtually all of them negative.
”Skill Games”: Does PA Have a Gambling Problem?
Gov. Shapiro and Treasurer Garrity offered competing proposals for taxing “skill games.” Shapiro calls for a 52% tax rate on 45,000 machines, comparable to the rate on casino slot machines. Garrity favors a flat $500 monthly fee per machine. She argues Shapiro’s proposed tax rate would make the machines unsustainable.
But the debate over skill games should draw attention to a much bigger problem: Pennsylvania’s growing gambling addiction crisis. Reports show close to 10,000 people were added to Pennsylvania’s gambling self-exclusion list last year. The state’s gambling addiction hotline has also seen record calls, while the rapid growth of online gambling and sports betting makes these vices increasingly accessible.
For more on why Pennsylvania needs to look beyond gambling revenue and consider the consequences for families and communities, read my latest op-ed in Broad + Liberty, “Harrisburg, We Have a Gambling Problem.” The piece examines how gambling has shifted from a destination to an everyday environment and asks why Pennsylvania keeps creating more opportunities to gamble while addiction concerns continue to grow.
What Wasn’t Covered?
While there were a dozen topics covered during the one-hour debate, there were plenty of important topics that were left out.
One gubernatorial debate “bingo card” contained several issue boxes that remained unfilled, including abortion, marijuana, and the minimum wage.
“Here’s one clarifying question I’d like to have asked during the #PAGovDebate: Governor Josh Shapiro has said we need to commercialize marijuana for recreational use to stay competitive with other neighboring states. But in the debate, Shapiro claims Pennsylvania is the only growing economy in the Northeast.
Governor Shapiro, why does Pennsylvania need to commercialize high potency THC with pot shops in every community selling for recreational use to “stay competitive” with neighboring states if we’re the only growing economy in the Northeast?
To find out more answers from the candidates, and for many other important races in this election, please visit PA Family’s Voter Guide at PaFamilyVoter.com.
Dan Bartkowiak is the Chief Strategy Officer for the Pennsylvania Family Council.
Watch The Debate:
