US EditionPA News Quiz: State budget deal, final pennies minted
The $50.1 billion budget ends a 135-day stalemate with increased public school funding, cyber charter reforms saving $178 million, and withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
- On Nov. 12, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a $50.1 billion state budget, and Gov. Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, signed it, ending a four-month stalemate.
- Amid prolonged negotiations, the budget due on June 30 was delayed 135 days, during which roughly $8 billion was collected, complicating final accounting.
- Among the trade-offs, the budget ends Pennsylvania's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, boosts basic education by $105 million, adds $40 million for special education and $100 million for safety, and protects the Rainy Day Fund with an $8 billion reserve.
- Passage restores funding to public school districts facing delayed payments, gives clarity to 15 community colleges amid uncertainty, but county governments must manage lost investments, loan interest, and workforce strains.
- Looking ahead, critics warn the budget's no new revenue streams could lead to a tax increase in 2026 or 2027, citing potential future fiscal risks.
15 Articles
15 Articles
There's A Path Forward For Marijuana Legalization In Pennsylvania Even After Omission From Budget Deal, Lawmakers Say
Marijuana legalization did not make it into the Pennsylvania legislature’s final budget deal, despite the governor’s push for the reform. But several House and Senate lawmakers tell Marijuana Moment that they see a path forward to end criminalization in the fast-approaching 2026 session. While Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said in August that he wouldn’t “concede” on his plan to legalize adult-use cannabis through the budget amid GOP opposition, he ulti…
135 days late, $50.1 billion Pennsylvania budget earns bipartisan support
The last state in the nation without some form of a budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year finally has a spending plan in place. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a $50.1 billion state budget Wednesday after intensive meetings between Republican and Democratic lawmakers in recent weeks. They had been deadlocked for nearly five months since the June 30 deadline. The budget, Shapiro’s third, increases overall spending by 4.7% compared to the previous year but …
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