Pennsylvania State Budget Expected Late; Lawmakers Home for Weekend

Pennsylvania lawmakers are supposed to pass a state budget by the end of Monday, June 30th—just three days away.

As of tonight, the chance of that budget passing on time is slim. Most lawmakers went back to their district for the weekend.

“We recognize where the sticking points are and we recognize where we've been able to kind of make progress,” said Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro on Tuesday. “And we know where we need to end up. I'm not suggesting we have all the answers to those questions, but we are working on those issues together in.”

Disagreements this year stem from how much to spend on education, transit, and Medicaid. The regulation of skills games has also been a major sticking point— with bipartisan support for regulation but infighting among republicans on how to regulate.

“My personal opinion is this is gambling,” Pittman said last week, "And so it needs to be regulated. It needs to be age restricted. And it needs to recognize the other forms of gaming that we have in this commonwealth.”

The details of the budget are decided by a handful of political leaders in closed door negotiations—which is why rank and file members might be in their districts, but progress can still be made over the weekend.

“Frankly, there is a runway and an opportunity in the several days and weeks after June 30th to put a product together without any discernible impact,” Senate Republican Leader Joe Pittman told reporters last week.

Pennsylvania’s state government restarts its fiscal year on July 1st. Before any tax money can be spent though, lawmakers must approve a budget.

“Good government is about consensus and compromise. Not everybody gets everything they want, but everybody gets something when we do it right,” said Rep. Bob Merski, an Erie Democrat.

Shapiro proposed a $51.4 billion budget in February. Senate Republicans have criticized the plan for spending $5 billion over what the state is estimated to make in revenue (around $46 billion, according to the state’s Independent Fiscal Office).

Democrats and Republicans approved a budget last year that overspent by $3.4 billion. There is around $10 billion in the state’s savings accounts that can be used to fill the gaps in revenue and spending for the next few years.

“Quite frankly, most groups asking for money will be lucky to get flat funded in a year like this,” Sen. Dan Laughlin said, an Erie Republican.

The uncertainty of federal funding for things like medicaid, snap, and education is also looming over budget talks.