88 Days Late; Should Pennsylvania Change It’s Budget Process?

Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that has made zero legal progress on a fiscal year 2025/26 budget. Lawmakers have now disregarded a legal obligation to complete their budget on time by 88 days.

“Year after year, the process of passing that budget gets bogged down in political gridlock. And its been happening more and more often, and its been going longer,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola, a Democrat for Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

This is the 4th year in a row that the state budget—which is due, every year, on June 30th- has been late. Over the past 24 years, the budget has been late 14 times.

Lawmakers from across the aisle say how the budget is negotiated is at the core of the problem.

“We have 203 state representatives, 50 senators, and the governor. However, the number of people in the room actually making those decisions is very few,” said Rep. Tom Jones, a Republican for Lancaster and Lebanon Counties.

Currently three men are negotiating how to spend the state’s $48 billion in revenue: Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, Senate Republican Leader Joe Pittman, and House Democratic Leader Matt Bradford.

Staff and several other leaders are included in closed door talks, but most rank and file legislators have little input on the process.

Boscola says that politics and egos lead to deadlocks; and leaders playing favorites with their districts instead of weighing statewide policies.

“It isn't a game. It's real people, like real people, sometimes losing jobs,” Boscola said. "Schools borrowing money to make payroll, students left without textbooks. It's just wrong."

The senator wants to change the process- and put Pennsylvania on a two year budget, that is negotiated in a non election year. She says this could give consistency to counties, schools, and other organizations reliant on state funds (which are frozen while a budget remains unfinished.)

“I think a two year cycle also frees up time for legislators to monitor how tax dollars are being spent. You can review outcomes and make targeted policy adjustments."

Jones also has process change ideas, which he has called the “Responsible Budgeting Act”.

“If we do not meet our obligation to have a budget passed by June 30th, I believe that last year's spending should be retroactive. That [it] should be implemented and approved automatically,” Jones said.

The state representative says automatically renewing the previous year’s budget, will be a legitimate motivation to negotiate changes on time. 

"If you want to change the budget, if you want to change some of those allocations, then get, I’m sorry, I’m gonna say it— get your rear end in gear and get it done,” Jones said.