Philadelphia councilmember Helen Gym arrested during protest at Pa. Capitol over school funding

PHILADELPHIA - The debate over Pennsylvania’s funding for public schools escalated quickly Wednesday, ending with Philadelphia councilmember Helen Gym getting handcuffed and arrested.

Gym was part of a Pennsylvania Capitol protest by a group of parents and interfaith clergy to fight for money for schools. They are calling on the Republican-led legislature to free up a pile of new money, a nearly $10 billion surplus. She says that money should go to Pennsylvania schools.

"When they return to school in September I need to know they are going back to schools that are better equipped, healthier, cleaner and more modern than they’ve ever been in order to welcome them back," Gym said 

As the Pennsylvania budget is being hammered out this week, Republicans want most of the money that came from the federal COVID relief package to go into a rainy day fund and not to fill old budget holes. After being denied access to the Senate gallery and being detained for two hours, Gym and about a dozen others were released with a summons for criminal trespassing.

"Was it worth getting arrested?" FOX 29’s Chris O’Connell asked. Gym replied, "I mean it’s about our future. I would do it a hundred times over and I hope other people will see that it’s that important."

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