Gov. Josh Shapiro proposes funding for Penn Vet in his budget after House Republicans blocked it over antisemitism

The University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school did not receive state funding for 2023-24, the first time in more than 130 years.

The funding was withheld by the legislature amid concerns about Penn’s handling of antisemitism allegations, a controversy that ultimately resulted in the resignation of former president Liz Magill and board chair Scott L. Bok.

But Gov. Shapiro this week once again included funding in his proposed budget for the veterinary school. The budget plan calls for just over $33 million for the vet school and Penn Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, according to the governor’s office.

» READ MORE: Pa. House GOP leader tells Penn how it can address antisemitism concerns to get blocked funding for vet school

It’s uncertain whether that funding ultimately will be approved but a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania House Republican Leader expressed optimism about the direction of talks with the university.

“We have had constructive dialogue with leadership at the University of Pennsylvania and hope to continue those productive conversations over the coming weeks as we work toward the shared goal of eliminating antisemitism and call for the genocide of Jewish people,” said Jason Gottesman, press secretary for Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster).

State Rep. Jesse Topper (R., Bedford), a member of the task force formed by the House Republicans to address concerns about antisemitism at Penn, told The Daily Pennsylvanian, the student newspaper: “I believe that [Shapiro] sees that ... there could be a path forward. He wants — we all want — that relationship to be restored.”

» READ MORE: Some Pa. senators say they won’t approve more than $31 million in state funding for Penn Vet until Liz Magill resigns

Penn Vet expressed appreciation for Gov. Shapiro’s decision to include the funding in the proposed budget.

“We look forward to working with the General Assembly to continue the school’s long-standing public-private partnership with the commonwealth in fiscal year 2024-2025 and resolving the need to fund Penn Vet’s state-related work this fiscal year,” said Martin Hackett, the vet school’s chief communications officer. “Throughout the impasse, Penn Vet has continued to fulfill its educational and service missions to the commonwealth in good faith — just as it has for over 139 years.”

Shapiro, in his budget address Tuesday, identified agriculture as one of five industries targeted for growth and state investment.

Penn Vet, Hackett said, “plays a vital role in advancing the profitability, viability, and safety of Pennsylvania’s farms.”

House Republicans announced in December that they would form a task force to address concerns about antisemitism at Penn. At that time, Cutler, in a letter to Penn, said lawmakers were looking for “an unequivocal public statement” that antisemitism and calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate the school’s code of conduct.

The letter followed congressional testimony given by Magill, who said it was a “context-dependent” decision on whether calling for the genocide of Jewish people would violate Penn’s regulations, a response similar to that of the former president of Harvard Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology president Sally Kornbluth.

Magill later issued a video statement clarifying her position, saying she does view such speech as harassment or intimidation and would launch a review of Penn’s policies on free speech. Just a few days later, she resigned. Gay resigned in January.

Even after Magill’s resignation, Republicans blocked funding for Penn Vet this year.

» READ MORE: Penn president Liz Magill has resigned following backlash over her testimony about antisemitism

Penn Vet has received some form of state funding since 1889. The $33 million represents about one-fifth of its annual budget. The funds require approval from two-thirds of the General Assembly.

Cutler also has said Republicans are looking for support from Penn on state bills to address antisemitism and assurances that no financial support is going toward antisemitism through student organizations or the university.

Critics have raised concerns about Penn not adequately supporting its Palestinian students and faculty and those advocating for them and have warned against conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Last month, a newly formed faculty group held a “die-in” vigil on campus in recognition of the lives lost in Gaza since Oct. 7. Hamas launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Penn in November rolled out a plan to combat antisemitism, including a task force that is expected to issue its report this spring, and a student advisory group on the Jewish student experience. At the same time, it announced a presidential commission to deal with the “interconnectedness of antisemitism and other forms of hate, including Islamophobia.”