Members of Penn State Extension programs made their voices heard Wednesday in Harrisburg.

Butler High School senior Madeline McEachin of West Sunbury was one of 52 regional people who traveled to the state Capitol for a budget meeting to voice their concerns about the state cutting funds for Penn State Extension, and the potential closing of programs such as 4-H and master gardeners.

“We just wanted to make it known that there was a presence and we do care,” said Madeline, a 4-H member.

The trip was organized by Janice Hassen, who is the Penn State Extension district director for Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

The trip was planned because state funds for Penn State Extension are in Gov. Tom Wolf’s line item veto. Hassen organized the trip for 4-H leaders, 4-H members and their parents, master gardeners and representatives of agriculture.

Most of the 500 travelers who made their way from around the state to the Capitol watched from a television in the Capitol building’s lower rotunda, though Madeline was one of the fortunate ones to watch the budget meeting.

She noted that Republicans were more for 4-H than were Democrats.

“I saw a lot more from the Republicans with support with the 4-H program,” she said.

Madeline also noted the tension between the two parties at the hearing.

“(Democrats talked about) more funds for education during the agricultural hearing,” she said. “Republicans made it clear they weren’t happy about the tax increase.”

Hassen said the hearing allowed for Penn State Extension members to have their voices heard.

“There was a lot of good discussion, a lot of passion for extension,” she said.

Hassen also made it clear that 4-H and master gardeners, while popular programs for the Penn State Extension, were far from the only programs that would be affected should funding be cut.

“It’s not just those two,” she said. “It’s every program that we do, plus our research station. So it’s encompassing more than just 4-H, but that’s one of our flagship programs that everybody identifies right off the bat with.”

The response that the Penn State Extension members received was that the governor supports agriculture, but that a procedural problem prevented him from being able to support the programs.

“There were no real definitive answers,” Madeline said. “It seemed to me kind of dodging the bullet. There was no real resolution at the end of the day. I don’t know if we will get one for at least a little while.”

While the final decision has not been made, for Bailey Kondos, a Seneca Valley High School student and a 4-H member, the impact of its outcome seems certain.

“Kids growing up without the opportunity for 4-H, it would be really rough for them because it has taught me so much and it has taught me to be a good person,” Bailey said. “And (without 4-H) kids would not be as respectful as most of us are today.”

However, Hassen has a positive feeling about not only Penn State Extension’s presence at the hearing, but also the 500-member rally that was held after it.

“I think seeing all the kids with the green shirts and the signs and seeing all the adults and the passion, I think that it’s gonna’ have a positive impact,” she said.