Pennsylvania lawmakers withhold funding from UPenn’s Veterinary school

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Pennsylvania’s budget is two days late, and counting, but there is one school still waiting for last year’s funding. It’s being held up by the political fight over the war in Gaza.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary School was supposed to receive $33 million last fiscal year but lawmakers told them to ‘hold your horses.’

“Higher education in general is a real problem,” said Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R), “and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.”

Lawmakers watched as mostly anti-Israel protests played out on college campuses this spring. Pittman says those protests put higher education “in a bad light and the University of Pennsylvania is right at the top of that list.”

State lawmakers also heard Penn’s President Liz Magill seemingly struggle to condemn anti-Semitism before Congress.

“Probably in all the examples, UPenn and what was going on there probably struck more of a chord across both sides of the aisle,” said State Senator Scott Martin (R-Lancaster).

Penn is a private institution but they have the state’s only vet school, which is categorized as “non-preferred” like Penn State, Pitt, and Temple. Those schools need two-thirds of lawmakers to sign off on their funding, but in this case, lawmakers did not.

“There’s no doubt that the veterinarian piece of UPenn, is productive, helpful, and important,” acknowledged Pittman. “But the bigger question of how UPenn has operated over these last several months still looms large in the mindset of many lawmakers in this building.”

State funding reduces tuition for in-state students and Penn Vet also partners with the Department of Agriculture and rural communities. Nearly everyone agrees it’s valuable but not everyone agreed to fund it.

“Politics is behind all of the votes that we take,” said State Senator Carolyn T. Comitta (D-Chester). “But there are some things like funding our children that and the Penn Vet program that benefits all Pennsylvanians. This is not a political issue. This is a moral and ethical issue.”

A bill to fund Penn Vet is now moving but that cashless year couldn’t have been easy. The school isn’t complaining publicly saying in a non-confrontational statement it’s proud of its relationship with the Commonwealth.

“We play a vital role in protecting animals, humans, and the environment through our clinical care, diagnostic testing, and innovative research,” said the school, adding “we remain hopeful that they will see the value in continuing to invest in our services.”

Governor Josh Shapiro (D) would like to unbridle no-preferred funding from that two-thirds requirement, however Pittman was quick to rein that idea in.

“Constitutionally, we don’t believe we can,” argued Pittman, adding “we constitutionally cannot deviate from the non-preferred approach.”

Penn Vet, founded in 1884, is one of only two Ivy League veterinary schools in the country.

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