We share the concerns of state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, regarding Gov. Josh Shapiro’s plan to pull money from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to fill the gaps in his own spending plan.

As Hamm noted recently the state does not have the prerogative to draw money from the fund at any given time — the money is earmarked for economic downturns.

Any time that fund is touched, it must happen only under conditions of a recession or economic downturn, Hamm said. If he tries to do that, as indicated in the proposal to legislators, there is a potential for a lawsuit being filed, Hamm said.

Beyond the legality of the proposal, the earmarking is for good reason — a recession leads to job losses and families struggling with job loss have to make the necessary spending sacrifices themselves, which lead to the state collected less revenue from both the personal income tax and sales tax.

The solution is not to concoct flimsy rationales for why the safeguards on spending the Rainy Day Fund can be ignored, or to hope for unproven sources of revenue that might not have the support to become a reality, like marijuana legalization and taxation or a steep tax on skill games.

Shortly after the budget was released, we opined in this space the state’s solution is simple: spend less.

After a parade of budget cycles that press spending higher and higher, the people of Pennsylvania deserve a state government that recognizes the limits and constraints of families’ budget and that is committed to fostering a more attractive climate for people to come to our state and create jobs and work.