Dear Neighbor,
After an avoidable political stalemate, I’m pleased to report that the Pennsylvania House and Senate this week in Harrisburg agreed to a bipartisan, compromise budget for 2025-26.
Governor Josh Shapiro signed the budget bill on Wednesday, and payments will once again flow to programs, schools and agencies across the commonwealth.
We expanded funding for schools, made investments in the workforce, and are supporting families living in the commonwealth.
What’s more, we added language to the budget bill that authorizes Pennsylvania’s first ever Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit. Going to around a million new Pennsylvanians, this credit is open to anyone who claims the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, and using the same eligibility for both keeps it simple.
You can read more about my vote for the budget here: Friel votes to end Pa. budget impasse, delivering wins for schools.
In the new budget, education is a priority. Funding for schools in Pennsylvania includes a $105 million increase for basic education, nearly $40 million more for special education, and $565 million in adequacy and tax equity funding to continue leveling the playing field for students in historically underfunded districts. There would also be $178 million in savings from charter school oversight.
Other highlights of the budget include:
- Puts more money back in the pockets of working families with a Working Pennsylvanian Tax Credit. Anyone who qualifies for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit would automatically qualify for a state-level tax credit of 10% of the federal credit back when filing taxes.
- Delivers $2 billion to repair and improve roads and bridges.
- Delivers $25 million for quality child care workers, to invest in those who take care of our kids.
The budget also reflected genuine bipartisan support this year. The General Appropriation Bill (S.B. 160) earned a solid 156–47 vote. The State-Related University Nonpreferred Bill (H.B. 1421) followed with a 151–52 margin. The Tax Code Bill (H.B. 416) saw overwhelming approval at 189–14, and the Human Services Code Bill (H.B. 749) was endorsed by an almost unanimous 199–4 vote.
Meanwhile, at the federal level, Congress voted to reopen the federal government, but without any protections for the 500,000 Pennsylvanians who purchase their health care through Pennie, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. You can be sure that we, at the state level, will be examining the effects of this lapse in governance. Americans deserve affordable health care. Period.
Americans also deserve help with food when they need it. Ending the shutdown means that full November SNAP benefit payments will begin again. Benefits are going out and should be paid to all recipients by the end of the week.
Regardless of SNAP, my office is still holding our food drive to benefit Coventry Food Pantry. Please stop by anytime between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to drop off items for our neighbors in need.