Dear Friends,
Wednesday, October 1st marked the 100th day of Pennsylvania’s budget impasse. This delay is now impacting our counties, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations that rely on state funding.
Unlike typical years, when there is back-and-forth between the House and Senate over budget proposals, this year the Senate did not even present a budget until 46 days after the deadline, passing a version of last year’s budget as a placeholder. Senate Republicans were seeking 10% cuts across-the-board during this time.
As I have said previously, this is legislative malpractice at a time when Pennsylvanians are already grappling with the effects of inflation and economic uncertainty fueled by national challenges. We need to make strategic investments in our commonwealth to ensure Pennsylvania remains a good place to live, work, and raise a family.
Last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward admitted what the House has known for a long time: the Republican majority in the Senate does not have the 26 votes needed to pass a legitimate budget bill. While they have the majority, it is non-functioning. The leadership failure however is that, instead of negotiating with House Dems and Senate Democrats who stand ready with 23 votes, Ward is prepared to harm students, seniors, domestic violence victims, rape survivors, small businesses, nursing homes, and those relying on social service organizations. Ward is doubling down on her messaging about this by falsely alleging that the House plan seeks to raise taxes.
Over the last 100 days, the Pennsylvania House has passed three bipartisan, balanced budgets—each without raising taxes and each tailored to address concerns voiced by the Senate Majority. Despite these efforts, the Senate has failed to take action. Instead, they offered a proposal that would force harmful cuts to local services, schools, and counties—shifting the burden to working families and increasing pressure on local taxpayers. Last week the House amended SB160 and sent it back over to the Senate to give them yet another opportunity to pass a fair budget that meets the needs of Pennsylvanians.
The most recent budget we sent over to the Senate totals just over $50 billion and reflects a fiscally responsible approach grounded in both prudence and compassion. With more than $10 billion in reserves, this plan makes smart, targeted investments to protect Pennsylvanians from the ongoing uncertainty in Washington—from federal cuts to government shutdowns—without adding to our tax burden.
Our budget is guided by a simple principle: responsible governance means meeting today’s needs while safeguarding tomorrow’s stability. It recognizes that education, public safety, healthcare, and economic opportunity are not luxuries. They are the foundations of thriving communities. That is borne out by the fact that Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast with a growing economy and we are also the only state in the Northeast that ranks in the top 20 for “Best States for Business” this year.
In school funding, the budget builds on last year’s historic reforms by delivering the second installment of adequacy and tax equity funding—over half a billion dollars. To allow us to move closer to our constitutional obligation to fairly and equitably fund our schools. It includes a $105 million increase in basic education funding, a $40 million increase in special education, and $175 million in savings by reforming cyber charter reimbursements.
Additional investments include $125 million to enhance school safety, $100 million to expand student mental health services, and dedicated support for teacher recruitment, professional development, and pre-K educators. Funding also provides a $9.5 million increase for Pre-K Counts, $28.5 million for early intervention services, and $5 million for public libraries, ensuring learners of all ages have the tools to succeed.
The budget also prioritizes working families, with over $50 million to help childcare centers hire and retain skilled educators. Families will continue to benefit from the expanded Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit—up to $2,100 per family—as well as my bill from last year which was included in the tax code to incentivize employers to assist with childcare costs, helping more parents remain in or reenter the workforce.
Support for seniors and public health services remains a top priority. The plan increases Managed Care funding by $765 million and allocates an additional $20.7 million to Local Area Agencies on Aging, protecting access to home-delivered meals and essential in-home care. In response to rising food insecurity, $40 million has been set aside to ensure families continue to have access to healthy food despite reductions in federal support. The budget also invests $12.5 million in rape crisis services, including a $550,000 increase to expand access to trauma-informed care.
Through these investments, the House is demonstrating what effective, compassionate governance looks like—balancing fiscal discipline with real-world impact. All these priorities have been passed not once, but three times by the House, yet they remain stalled in the Senate.
With Pennsylvania now more than 100 days past the budget deadline, inaction has real consequences. Schools, counties, service providers, and working families deserve stability—not gridlock. The House has led the way, offering compromise and accountability. Now it’s time for the Senate to act.
Reach out to your state senator and ask them to support SB160. Pennsylvanians deserve results—not delays.