Lawmakers kicked off budget hearings Feb. 16 as the Pennsylvania state government faces a multibillion-dollar revenue gap—a hangover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic—and Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to raise the state income tax takes center stage, The Associated Press reported.

At the first House Appropriations Committee hearing, Democrats defended Wolf’s proposal, which is structured to shift the burden to higher earners and cut taxes for lower-income workers in a state with one of the most regressive tax structures.