In just his second term in office, Rep. Lou Schmitt of Blair County, has been named to the House Appropriations Committee, the committee charged with examining the governor’s budget proposal and crafting a responsible budget. In accepting the position, Schmitt said that he will work to protect taxpayers through responsible budgeting. Schmitt assumes the role of committee member after Rep. Rosemary Brown of Monroe and Pike Counties left the committee to be chairwoman of the Urban Affairs Committee. Schmitt said that business closures initiated by Governor Wolf over COVID-19 have wreaked havoc on Pennsylvania’s economy, causing holes to be poked into state finances and putting the state in a very precarious situation. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, he said he looks forward to finding real solutions to these financial issues and creating a responsible budget that respects taxpayers and doesn’t leaving them in the lurch paying higher taxes.