Pennsylvania attorney general warns staffing gaps and funding shortfalls will stretch public‑safety work
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Summary
Attorney General Sunday told the House Appropriations Committee that a gap between his office's requested General Government Operations (GGO) funding and the governor's proposal will force tradeoffs across public‑safety work, leaving some investigations and victim services underresourced.
Attorney General Sunday told the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee that his office cannot sustain current investigative and victim‑service workloads on the governor's proposed budget and urged increased GGO funding to restore staffing parity and operational capacity.
"Everything we say yes to means we say no to something else," Sunday said, laying out a staffing shortfall across civil, consumer‑protection and criminal units and noting the office has shifted existing positions to meet urgent needs. He said the AG's office requested an increase in GGO funding (the office requested roughly $82 million for the GGO line in the budget cycle) while the governor proposed about $59 million and that difference constrains hiring and retention.
Sunday described the effect in concrete program lines: his human‑trafficking unit needs two additional positions and an $855,000 increase to keep pace with rising cases; the Safe to Say Something program requires five additional staff to meet statutorily mandated response windows; and tobacco enforcement and narcotics work likewise need bodies and technology support. He added that the office has relied on restricted accounts and forfeiture funds for years but those accounts have sharply declined and cannot be treated as ongoing operating revenue.
Committee members from both parties pressed Sunday on what the office would stop doing if funding gaps persist. Sunday said the office would prioritize legislatively mandated duties and essential public‑safety investigations, but that continuing deficits would mean turning away or delaying intensive, long‑term probes and limiting supportive services to victims. He urged the legislature to consider restoring GGO parity so restricted funds can be used for specialized experts and technology.
Why it matters: The AG's office leads multi‑jurisdictional investigations (including narcotics and trafficking) and provides assistance to local law enforcement; understaffing could reduce that statewide reach and slow response to large, complex cases.
What's next: The hearing advances the appropriation debate in committee; no formal budget action was taken during this session.
