Pennsylvania lawmakers returned to Harrisburg Monday for the first time in nearly a month, fresh from their spring and election breaks, and their top priority is Governor Corbett’s budget. He has proposed spending $27.1 billion, and he’s pushing cuts in education and public welfare spending.

Montgomery and Bucks County State Senator Stewart Greenleaf says he would like to see the state do more for small business owners, who risk everything they have on new ideas.

“We couldn’t pay people to do that.  These are people putting their homes up, borrowing money, risking all, spending hours and hours every day.  These are not 9 to 5 jobs.  These people dedicate their whole lives and what do we do?  We discourage them and we have to stop that.  They alone can pull us out of this recession.”

Greenleaf says small companies are taxed and regulated out of business, and he would like to see a lower personal income tax rate and cuts in taxes and reduced regulations on small business.