Senate Returns to Harrisburg Today for a Limited Voting Session

Update by Gmerek Government Relations

The Senate returns to Harrisburg this afternoon for its first scheduled voting day since July 17. As Pennsylvania moves into the second month of the new fiscal year without a state spending plan, today's legislative activity-along with the past two days of action in the House of Representatives-suggests that agreement on many significant issues remains elusive. These issues are central to the Legislature and Governor Shapiro reaching a comprehensive budget solution that includes funding for state programs, schools, and public transit, as well as establishing new revenue sources to balance the budget.

Over the past two days, the House passed its fifth transit funding plan. However, the underlying revenue sources remain unchanged: shifting a greater share of Sales and Use Tax revenues from the state General Fund to support public transit and incurring new debt to fund roads and bridges. Senate Republicans continue to note that neither the House Democratic majority nor Governor Shapiro has identified which programs would be cut or what taxes would be raised to cover the increased spending. However, the latest House proposal does include additional oversight and reforms for transit agencies-priorities of Senate Republicans. Additionally, over the last two days of voting in the House of Representatives, no other legislation was considered except for the new transit funding proposal.

While budget negotiations have been slow and largely unproductive in recent weeks, the parties have continued meeting to address unresolved issues. The House's passage of another transit bill-without agreement from all parties-and Governor Shapiro's and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis's weekend rallies in support of public transit funding appear to have had the opposite of their intended effect and resulting in the Senate's return today to likely focus only on temporary solutions to the immediate challenges caused by the budget impasse.

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) has recently suggested providing interim relief to schools, non-profits, libraries, and other entities awaiting state funding, an idea she initially proposed in June. She has proposed an "essential services" budget that would continue last year's funding levels for these programs while negotiations continue toward a complete budget agreement.

In addition to considering the Senate Republicans' proposed spending plan, today's Senate schedule also includes:

• A confirmation hearing for Governor Shapiro's nominee for Secretary of Education, Dr. Carrie Rowe.
• A meeting of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee to adopt a subpoena directing the Pennsylvania State Police to produce documents regarding the chartering of Pennsylvania State Police planes and helicopters by members of the Shapiro Administration. Senator Coleman has held public hearings seeking information on the use of state plans by Governor Shapiro and his administration to increase transparency on who is using the state planes and helicopters and for what public purpose they are being used.

Today's legislative activities do not indicate that a budget agreement is imminent. Instead, Senate Republicans appear to be advancing their immediate spending priorities, similar to the approach taken by the House last month.

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