The Rotunda of the Pennsylvania Capitol was the site of Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2024 budget address to a joint session of the state House and Senate. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
(AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Journalist Roundtable: Pa Budget Season Begins
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Asia Tabb
(AP Photo/Marc Levy)
The Rotunda of the Pennsylvania Capitol was the site of Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2024 budget address to a joint session of the state House and Senate. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Aired; June 6th, 2025.
Listen to the podcast to hear the full interview.
As Pennsylvania approaches its June 30 budget deadline, the state Capitol is bustling with legislative maneuvering, behind-the-scenes negotiations, and intense public advocacy. But according to journalists closely watching the process, it’s still early—and anything could happen.
“There’s definitely a lot of action in the various chambers,” said Kate Huangpu, a political reporter with Spotlight PA. “But right now, there’s not too, too much that’s finalized.”
Stephen Caruso of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star explained that the budget process may not unfold the way many imagine. “The way we’re taught to think about government is like Schoolhouse Rock, and that’s not how this works at all,” Caruso said. “A bunch of people are going to go into a back room for most of June. They’re going to get to a place where—sometime end of June, maybe July, maybe even fall—they have a deal everyone can agree to. And then that is just going to be plopped into a bill… and they’re gonna pass it in a matter of hours.”
A major issue in this year’s negotiations is education funding. Last year, in response to a 2023 Commonwealth Court ruling that declared Pennsylvania’s public school system unconstitutional due to inequitable funding, lawmakers allocated $500 million in targeted aid. A similar amount was expected this year and in the years to come.
But that long-term funding plan is no longer certain.
“We’re starting to see some pushback,” said Caruso. “Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman has basically said, ‘I think our education funding has gone up too fast, and we need to flatten that out.’”
While Pittman acknowledged the court ruling, he emphasized it didn’t include specific spending requirements. “The ruling says the solution would be virtually endless,” Caruso noted, adding, “If schools do need more dollars over and over again, the state’s going to need more revenue—and there hasn’t been much put on the table to bring in more revenue every year.”
Huangpu agreed: “Presumably, education will continue to be funded. It’s just at what rate.”
Both reporters highlighted that proposals like school vouchers and cyber charter reform could end up in the final deal. “It’s basically a giant blender of ideas that gets whirled up,” Caruso said. “And then come the end… when everyone likes what’s in that slurry, it gets poured out for everybody to take a sip of.”
Governor Josh Shapiro made headlines recently by shifting federal highway funds to support SEPTA, Pennsylvania’s largest public transit agency. While not unprecedented, the move sparked controversy among rural lawmakers who saw it as a trade-off between roads and transit.
“For Senate Republicans, that move… frustrated them,” Caruso said. “Those are highway projects that weren’t done. That’s your piece of the transportation pie right there that’s been delayed.”
Still, Caruso noted that transit agencies exist in every county. “This isn’t just a Philly issue,” he said. “Transit agencies range from light rail to services that drive homebound seniors to the doctor.”
Shapiro has also proposed redirecting state sales tax revenue to address transit funding shortfalls.
Despite the rallies and press events happening in Harrisburg, Caruso was realistic about how much influence public protests have on the final deal.
“If 50 people show up to the Capitol with signs… lawmakers may think it’s just an inorganic effort to get attention,” he said. “But if something seems organic—if regular people show up and they seem angry—that might change some minds.”
Still, most decisions are made by “a handful of people in small back rooms,” Caruso emphasized. “So even if you talk to your state lawmaker, all they can do is pass that message up the chain.”
While June 30 is technically the deadline for passing the budget, Huangpu explained that it’s often missed without immediate crisis.
“If it’s a few weeks late, that’s fine. Agencies can keep going,” she said. “But if it goes into August or September, then schools and libraries that rely heavily on state funds may start making hard decisions, like taking out loans or using reserves.”
In Harrisburg, the only certainty is uncertainty. As the days tick by, the budget “blender” continues to churn, with education, transportation, cannabis, Medicaid, and revenue creation all on the table—waiting to see what pours out.
