For the fifth consecutive year, Pennsylvania lawmakers have missed a constitutionally-imposed budget adoption deadline.
After failing to reach a spending plan before the mandated June 30 deadline, Republicans allegedly left Harrisburg Tuesday to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial, or 250th birthday.
According to a press release sent by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), the state House had submitted its recommended budget more than two months ago to the Senate, where it remained untouched until earlier this week.
In a press conference held Tuesday by Democratic state leaders, Sen. Jay Costa said the Senate did “nothing until yesterday (Monday) where they stripped it out. The budget that came to us … and now they went home.”
Costa, (SD-43; Allegheny County) serves as state Democratic Leader. He said legislators gathered Tuesday “to express our deep frustration about not being able to “close out a budget.”
Seated at the press conference left to right were: Sen. Vincent Hughes (Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman), Rep. Jordan Harris (Majority Appropriations Chairman), Sen. Jay Costa (Senate Democratic Leader), Joanna McClinton, (House Speaker and Rep. Matt Bradford (House Majority Leader).
The failure to adopt a budget, which also helps fund Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts, leaves educators wondering what happens next.
“Pennsylvania needs lawmakers to pass a budget that invests in our communities and delivers the resources our public schools deserve; particularly those schools slated to receive [adequate] funding as part of the multiyear plan to close school funding gaps. Delayed state budgets and long impasses only serve to prevent school officials from thoughtfully planning how to use new resources to close opportunity gaps for students,” said PSEA President Aaron Chapin in a press release.
Public education school boards are required to adopt a final spending plan by June 30 or face consequences such as blocked basic education payments, hiring freezes, delayed payments to vendors or taking on debt to fund school operations and programs, WHYY reported.
While a 2009 state Supreme Court ruling did away with the practice of holding wages for state workers during a budget impasse, nonprofit organizations like libraries, county governments, public schools and others who receive and rely on state funding continue to go without.
“Pennsylvania’s communities cannot afford another budget impasse that could cause unnecessary hardship and diminish resources for public schools at the local level,” Chapin said.
Last year, Pennsylvania’s failure to adopt a budget on time caused massive headaches for public school officials across the commonwealth, the Bucks County Beacon reported in August.
“Delayed state budgets and long impasses only serve to prevent school officials from thoughtfully planning how to use new resources to close opportunity gaps for students.” – PSEA President Aaron Chapin
In a press release issued Tuesday, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) “expressed disappointment that the General Assembly will not meet the June 30 deadline to finalize the 2026-27 state budget, while emphasizing confidence that the state leaders are nearing an agreement that prioritizes students and public education.”
With the budget deadline only a few days past, some remain confident a deal can be made sooner – rather than later.
Last year, after roughly four months of wrangling, a divided state Senate passed House Bill 416 by 43-6 margin with 1 “no vote.”
“We are confident that our state officials will remain committed to working together to prepare a budget that will support our schools and public education throughout the commonwealth,” said Bridget O’Connell, Palisades School District superintendent.
A representative for Centennial School District declined to respond to an email request for comment.
Efforts to reach officials for comment in the Central Bucks School District, Pennridge School District and Quakertown Community School District were unsuccessful.
“We think it’s imperative we continue to work. We are here… the governor’s here … House Democrats are here … to be able to bring this thing to closure,” Costa said during the Tuesday press conference.
In a video posted to Facebook Wednesday, Bucks County Sen. Steve Santarsiero (SD-10) said the deadline passed without a budget because Republicans failed to “agree to continue to invest in education” and fund mass transit “at an appropriate level.”
Among other sticking points between the political parties include raising the minimum wage, “which has not been touched for 20 years,” Santarsiero said.
Santarsiero ended his message with the hope that Senate Republicans would return to Harrisburg next week to “engage in good faith negotiations with us, with the governor and with Democrats in the House” and “get a deal to serve all of these policy interests and truly helps the people of Pennsylvania.”
Costa noted bipartisan efforts by the House to craft and send a budget in April – well in advance of the June deadline – illustrated both parties can work together.
“We are deeply upset that our Senate Republicans won’t work with us to get something done,” Costa added.
House Majority Leader Joanna McClintock said members of the state House were “convened into Thursday this week, of course we’ll be here Friday and Saturday to kick off America’s birthday.”
“Where is the Senate Republican leadership right now?” asked McClintock.
