One down, one out.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a general appropriations bill Tuesday to fund the commonwealth’s Executive, Legislative and Judicial Department expenses, national debt and public schools.
House Bill 2400 adopted by a majority of 107 to 94 votes, with all 102 Democrats voting in favor of the bill, as well as five Republicans – Representatives Kathleen Tomlinson (R-bucks), Tomek Mehaffi (R-Dauphin), Joe Hogan (R-bucks), Shelby Labs (R-Bucks) i Craig Williams (R-Chester/Delaware)
“Today’s passage of the proposed state budget is an important step toward accelerating the General Appropriations Act process and keeping us on track to deliver a timely budget to Pennsylvanians,” he said House Appropriations Majority Leader Jordan A. Harris (D-Philadelphia) in a statement. “This bill passed the House with bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment to expediting and on-time budget implementation.
“This budget continues our investments in public education, support for law enforcement and strengthening Pennsylvania’s economy, all while giving money back to working families and not raising taxes.
“Our goal remains clear: to deliver a responsible, balanced budget on time that makes Pennsylvania more affordable and continues to deliver on our commitments to communities across the Commonwealth.”
Governor Josh Shapiro he was pleased that the House passed his budget proposal with bipartisan support.
“This budget builds on the progress we’ve made and continues Pennsylvania’s progress – putting money back into people’s lives, investing in schools, growing the workforce, keeping our communities safe and growing our economy. The ball is now in the state Senate’s court. It’s time to get to work to keep Pennsylvanians safe.”
Pennsylvania Senate President pro tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong/Indiana/Jefferson/Westmoreland) i Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Martin (R-Berks/Lancaster) released a joint statement saying they are working on a “more fiscally responsible budget for 2026-2027.”
“We continue to have deep concerns about the level of spending in the budget proposed by Governor Shapiro and passed by the House today. Moving the budget plan forward is an important step in this process, but much work remains to reach a final agreement that respects taxpayers both now and in the future. We will continue to fight for a more fiscally responsible spending plan that better prepares our Commonwealth for growth and prosperity, without imposing undue financial burdens on Pennsylvania families and taxpayers.”
The legislation now heads to the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 27-23 majority.
