Harrisburg-Seenat Pennsylvania on Tuesday was promoted by a state budget worth $ 47.6 billion for 2025–26, which contains flat expenses, as well as a two-year transport plan of $ 1.2 billion opposite to finance mass passage and repair on rural roads.
The means of transport would take from the money designated for current and planned transit capital projects in the Public Transport Fund – as well as revenues from taxation of interactive games.
After the initial driving of the Senate’s proposal, finding that “creates new problems”, the general director of Septa Scott Sauer later said that he needed more explanations about the sources of financing and expected that “he would remain in close contact with all the parties in this negotiations, when we expect solutions that will provide adequate balanced financing of the future.” The change of sauer in the attitude took place after “further discussions from the Republican Senate,” he said.
Sauer later on Tuesday evening he lay down again and said that the Act on financing mass transit in the Senate “still seems to be flexible necessary capital dollars for operational funds.”
Sauer said that he and his employees talk to the leaders to try to understand what the final impact of the Senate act on current capital projects would be, as well as Selt’s future participation in capital financing.
“We all try to take our arms,” said Sauer.
»Read more: SEPTA services will be cut if the state money is not secured by August 14
The transit agency, which wears about 700,000 passengers a day in the most populated region of state, is preparing for deep cuts of services, because, as he says, the legislator and governor did not agree to long -term transit financing. He faces an operational deficit of $ 213 million.
Last week, Septa announced that in August 14 you would need state financing or the first round of cuts.
Flat financing is moving forward
The leaders of the GOP Senate said that the authority decided to adopt a package of financial expenditure flat for the financial year in 2025–26, so money for schools, poviats and other subsidized services by the government is not suspended when a larger budget agreement was reached.
It is not clear whether the proposed flat financing will allow you to meet its constitutional requirements for public education and social services. If the center of the Senate is approved by the house controlled by democratic, it will allow the flow of money to poviats and schools, while the best legislators still meet behind closed doors to negotiate the final budget agreement.
However, it was also clear whether – or if – the house planned to return to Harrisburg to consider the Senate’s expenditure plan and the Act on financing mass transport.
Both mass transit financing account, Bill House 257and full budget expenditure account, Senate Bill 160The Senate passed along the party line, 27–22.
Use of the Public Transport Fund
Governor Josh Shapiro and leader of most houses Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said they were opposing the transport account.
Bradford also said that he was opposed to the general plan of the Senate expenses. Shapiro did not comment on it.
»Read more: Not only septa: public transport is in trouble throughout Pennsylvania, including GOP districts
But on Tuesday, in the Senate, Democrats and Republicans did not in their contradictory positions about the impact of the operate of the Public Transport Fund – a special fund created on the basis of Act 44 of 2007 with over $ 2.2 billion in sale tax on sales for capital projects – for mass transport.
The Republicans of the Senate, in comments on the floor, stated that the fund offers a tiny -term solution with over a billion dollars in funds that will not harm any planned capital projects.
However, in the case of the Democrat Senate, the measure was seen as an effort that would be brought to cut the financing of the mass transport agency to be able to make critical security updates. Some members also noticed the addition of financing roads and bridges in the Senate Act as taking mass transport funds intended for crisis situations.
This week, Penndot did not respond to applications for documentation for the amount intended for existing capital projects.
Septa did not say whether the action of the State Senate, if approved by the chamber, would stop planned cuts and tariffs that are to come into force from August 24, just a day before the start of the school year for public schools in Philadelphia.
Manuel Bonder, Governor’s spokesman, said Shapiro, Democrat, “appreciates the Senate Republicans finally recognizing the need to finance mass transport systems throughout the community”, but this is not enough.
“This is clearly not a serious, long-term proposal that can convey both chambers,” Bonder added. “It’s time to go back to the table and continue working.”
The deadlock will probably be continued
Shapiro and House leaders insisted $ 1.5 billion for recent sept financing and other transit systems on sales tax revenues, which did not find support in most GOP Senate.
The budget proposal of the Senate is also not a immense extent from $ 51.5 billion at an altitude of $ 51.5 billion in the chamber’s expenditure plan in the amount of $ 50.6 billion, which passed last month, but the Senate refused to vote. This Luka-i discrepancies in the field of financing of SEPTA and other mass transport agencies in Pennsylvania-probably means that the seven-week budget deadlock will continue.
The leader of the majority of Senate Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said on Tuesday evening that the plan to finance the mass transit of the Senate “checks all boxes” to allocate funds for road and bridges repair and money for mass transit, without deepening the state deficit. Pennsylvania is on the right track to bring $ 5.5 billion less than he spends this financial year. Shapiro and other democratic leaders caught up with a rain rainwater fund in the amount of $ 7.3 billion and a budget surplus worth $ 3 billion, at least in part, But Republicans warned against this.
“I understand that this is a two-year plan, but let’s face it, the next two years in south-eastern Pennsylvania are extremely critical, and we realize,” Pittman added, referring to many international events planned in the Philadelphia region in 2026. “We think it is an intelligent way to pull out the door of the door.”
Senator Vince Hughes (D., Philadelphia), chairman of the Senate minority, said that he had sedate concerns about the Senate transit financing plan and the Act on budget expenditure. According to the plan, Hughes said that he was afraid that transit agencies would have to raise the tariffs each year based on inflation indicators, unless they receive a Penndot exemption. And he said he was worried about what the expenditure account for the recent education financing system in Pennsylvania means – the problem he supported.
Hughes said that by maintaining flat educational financing instead of continuing money as part of recent formulas, the state returns to the promise, which will properly and equally finance public education.
“To get out of the gate with the first year, which was very positive, and school districts record great results, and then miss the sign so grossly in the second year with this proposal, it is simply very disappointing,” he added.
More than financing
In addition to the required annual growth of transit agencies, the Senate Transport Act would classify as an assault about a first -degree crime or an attempt to assault the transit operator causing death or bodily damage to the operator or other person, the legislation that was authorized by sense. Joe Picozzi (R., Philadelphia) and Frank Farry (R., Bucks). It would be punished for 20 years in prison.
Financing of mass transit The measure would also extend the power of the State Special Prosecutor for crimes in Septa until December 31, 2035. Republican legislators wanted to initially establish this position because they believed that the District Prosecutor in Philadelphia Larry Krasner was not sufficiently proactive regarding the transit crime.
In 2023, Shapiro signed legislation establishing a special prosecutor’s position, which was initially to expire at the end of 2026.
