State Budget Moves to Senate as SEPTA Faces Critical Cuts

Rep. Leanne Krueger July 22, 2025 | 10:50 AM

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Dear Neighbor,

Last week, I wrote to you from the State Capitol after the Pennsylvania State House passed a state budget, HB 1330, and sent it to the Senate for consideration. On Thursday, the State Senate gutted the budget bill in their Appropriations Committee, taking out almost every budget line and leaving an empty shell of a bill sitting in committee. Then they sent their members home, with no session days scheduled until September. They did not vote any budget bills out of the State Senate last week.

This is the first week in seven weeks that the State House hasn’t been in session and the first Monday since Memorial Day that I haven’t been at the Capitol. It’s an uncertain time of year, and we could be called back by the Speaker with 12 hours of notice. At this point, there is no budget deal. In a divided government, compromise is essential, and the budget we voted on last week reflects that, cutting $1 billion from Governor Shapiro’s original proposal. It passed the House with bipartisan support and the State Senate has yet to counter with a budget proposal of their own.

The longer we go without a budget, the more challenging things get. One critical area still at risk is SEPTA. The State House has voted to fund SEPTA four times in the past year, but the State Senate has not voted on any of those proposals. Without additional state support, SEPTA is preparing to cut service by up to 45% and raise fares by more than 20% starting this fall. Major cuts are scheduled to begin August 24, including the elimination of 50 bus routes and five regional rail lines. A 9 PM curfew on all remaining rail service is also set to begin January 1, 2026. You can learn more about SEPTA’s proposed cuts and budget here.

I’ve heard from many of you about how vital SEPTA is for getting to work, school, and medical appointments. To avoid these devastating cuts and steep fare increases, the state must approve a budget that gives SEPTA the funding it needs to maintain current service levels and modest fare increases.

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