Gov. Tom Corbett recently presented his proposed 2013-2014 budget before the General Assembly in Harrisburg.

While his $28.4 billion spending plan is nearly a 2.4 percent increase from last year's budget, it does not call for any tax increase.

The plan does include a $90 million or 1.7 percent increase in state funding for basic education, the first in two years, bringing the total to nearly $5.5 billion, the highest level of state funding for school districts.

Corbett proposes adding another $6.4 million toward Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs to give 3,200 additional children and their families' access to full- and part-day programs.

"Selling liquor is not a core function of government. Education is," Corbett said. "We need to put our liquor system into private hands."

His plan calls for selling the liquor stores, which will generate $1 billion over a four-year period for the Passport for Learning Block Grant; school district funding for school safety; "Ready by 3 program;" individualized learning; and enhancing access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

In addition to providing funding for children in kindergarten through grade 12, the budget includes $1.58 billion for higher education programs.

Corbett's budget also proposes two adjustments to the way Pennsylvania funds transportation.

"I am calling on the Legislature to pass a 17-percent reduction in the flat liquid fuels tax paid by consumers at the pump," he said. "Second, I am asking the General Assembly to begin a five-year phase out of an artificial and outdated cap on the tax paid by oil and gas companies on the wholesale price of gasoline. It is time for the oil and gas industry to pay their fair share on the cost of the infrastructure supporting their industry."

The issue of providing funds for enhancing public safety was also addressed.

The budget includes $14.7 million for three state police cadet classes to train 290 new troopers.

In addition, the budget will offer funding of $6 million to train 90 new civilian police dispatchers.

Funding for farmland preservation and four more agricultural programs is also included.

The budget will offer more than $35 million for the farmland preservation program; $17 million will provide funding for the Food Purchase program to help people who do not have enough food to eat and $2.5 million for county fairs.

In addition, the budget will also continue to fund the PennVET program at the University of Pennsylvania and agricultural research at Penn State.

It also provides $10 million in funding to continue the system of tax credits for the Resource Enhancement Protection program for farmers.

Health care reform and health and human services is included in the proposed budget.

"At this time, without serious reforms, it would be financially unsustainable for the taxpayers, and I cannot recommend a dramatic Medicaid expansion," Corbett said. "The federal government must authorize real flexibility and innovative reforms that empower us to make the program work for Pennsylvania."

The budget provides more than $8 million in funding to provide health care coverage through the CHIP program for more than 9,300 additional children.

Corbett has included providing $40 million in services to 3,000 men, women and children with physical and intellectual disabilities.

"My budget proposes that we assist more than 210,000 low-income families and enable 1,400 children now on waiting lists to receive child-care assistance," Corbett said.

Another issue Corbett's budget deals with is the work force.

The proposal provides $2.5 million to the Keystone Works program to provide training opportunities for unemployed workers.

"Now is not the time to be timid in our approach," Corbett said. "Now is not the time to cling to old ideas and the status quo.

"Now is not the time to make small changes and get big results. Now is the time to be truly innovative.

"Now is the time to embrace new ideas. And now is the time to be bold. Pennsylvanians deserve this from us now."

Corbett also addressed pension reform.

"There will be no cuts to any retiree benefits," Corbett said. "Nor will I allow any pension dollars already earned by any current employee to be diminished in any way."

Corbett suggested a new 401K-style retirement plan be created for future state employees.