Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a $47.6 billion dollar state budget today. Governor Josh Shapiro signed the bill at 10:57pm.

After weeks of negotiations behind closed doors—the budget for the general fund was passed in a single day.

The $47.6 billion dollar price tag is a 6.2% increase from last year’s budget.

Education received over a $1.2 billion dollar fund increase—addressing everything from school facilities to establishing a new adequacy fund to reduce district reliance on property tax.

“We responded to create a constitutional, adequate and equitable education system,” said Sen. Vincent Hughes, Minority Chair of Appropriations. 

With the new adequacy formula, Erie School District will receive $18 million in new funding this year.

In economic development news, Erie City was approved for a grant program some city officials have sought for years.

“I have been working, literally since the day I was sworn in, for City Revitalization Improvement Zone- CRIZ for short. We included that in the state budget this year,” said Sen. Dan Laughlin of Erie.

 

  Kara Jeffers

 

Another area with major revisions and funding is higher education. New grants were created, along with a new State Board of Higher Education to keep the higher education industry focused and strategic for future plans. The budget also established performance based funding for state related schools.

“We know that we have a demographics problem in Pennsylvania.  We have a workforce shortage issue,” said Rep. Jesse Topper, Minority Chair of Education. “And higher education and the reforming the way we fund higher education is an integral part of changing those demographics."

Waivers for care for individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism (ID/A) received an 11% increase in funding.

A new Office of Gun Violence Prevention was created, along with fund increases to after school programming and other safe community initiatives. The state also provided funds for Pennsylvania State Police to hire an additional 400 officers.

The expansion of the PA SITES program was included.

Indigent defense— which Pennsylvania, when the city of Philadelphia is removed from calculations, is tied for the lowest funding in the nation— received no increase.

Both Democrats and Republicans lost goals in the compromise.

Democrats are disappointed with no progress on minimum wage.

“Pennsylvania used to have the highest minimum wage of all the states around us. Now we have the lowest. That is a failure,” said Hughes. "That is not one we were able to bring home, but we will not stop pushing on that."

Republicans are concerned at the state spending more than it makes in revenue.

“It’s more than we have to spend. It doesn’t work in my home, or the constituents that I serve— it doesn’t work in their home to spend more than they have,” said Rep. Clint Owlett of Tioga County. “And that’s exactly what this budget did.

With the budget done, lawmakers will be able to spend the summer campaigning, counties and non profits will maintain funding, and we will be breaking down the budget for you in the coming week.