Blue Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Has a Budget for 2026/27!

The good news for many school districts and non-profits is that the 2026/27 budget for Pennsylvania was only 12 days late this year.  That means that organizations that are reliant on state funding will not need to worry about taking out heavy interest loans to meet payroll and other expenses.

It seems that the biggest winner of the additional 1.4% increase in the budget over last year is in the line item for public education.  Underfunded school districts will receive their third installment of funding in a process that will culminate in 2031, when all 500 school districts in the state should be adequately funded (provided the General Assembly continues to approve additional increases in future budgets).  This will also be the first year since these adequacy funds have been made available that Pennsylvania is not putting additional money into the EITC/OSTC school voucher system to appease the Republican lawmakers.

The budget also contains a number of cyber charter reforms, such as how these schools are funded, how truants are admitted, and wellness checks – which should reduce the financial burden of the school districts where cyber charter students reside. 

Other beneficiaries of the increase are the 80,000 retired police, teachers, and fire fighters who have not seen any cost of living adjustment to their pensions in decades; rape centers; and nursing homes.

In the state senate there were six votes against the budget in the 50-member body.  One interesting observation is that, among the Mastriano’s and the Keefers who voted “Nay”, were two of the senate’s most progressive members – Nikil Saval and Katie Muth.

In her speech on the senate floor, Muth brought up the conservative argument that this budget is unsustainable since the state is spending more money than it is bringing in.  But unlike her Republican counterparts, Muth is concerned with additional revenue – not fewer dollars for law enforcement, education, transportation, health, and housing.  She touched on revenue that the legislators have left on the senate floor, such as taxing skill games, progressive taxation, and making sure that Delaware incorporated companies that do business in Pennsylvania pay their fair share.

Saval bemoaned the budget that incentivized data centers rather than regulating them.  That’s because State Senate majority leader Joe Pittman had announced earlier in the budget process that he will not consider any bills this year that concern data centers.  Saval was also critical of a budget that added no new money for public transportation and affordable housing.

One other senator of note who voted “Nay” on the budget this year was Jarrett Coleman.  As of this writing, he has offered no reason for his decision, but last year, he voted twice on a senate budget that contained no new money for underfunded school districts like Allentown and East Penn, two districts that he represents.  He also voted “Nay” on last year’s final budget.

Coleman’s seat is one in the senate that we are hoping to flip.  Below are the list of seats that you should click on to see how you can make a difference.  Remember – we are only two senate seats away from cleaner air and water, good public schools and transportation, sensible gun laws, and affordable health and housing.

PA Senate

Candidate (Democrat)	District	Count(y/ies)	Incumbent (Republican)
Eileen Harnett Albillar	SD-6	Bucks	Frank Farry
Mark Pinsley	SD-16	Bucks/Lehigh	Jarrett Coleman
Chris Thomas	SD-24	Berks/Montgomery	Tracy Pennycuick

PA House

Candidate (Democrat)	District	Count(y/ies)	Incumbent (Republican)
Kristin Egan	HD-142	Bucks	Joe Hogan
Jeff Warren	HD-137	Northampton	Joe Emrick
Elizabeth Moro	HD-160	Chester/Delaware	Craig Williams

Thanks,

Coleman