This year’s legislative session passed fewer fresh bills than any other session in more than a decade, which can be partly attributed to the split between the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate. However, several significant pieces of legislation and budget changes reached the governor’s desk.
The most significant legislation was changes to the budget’s school funding formula, which includes more than $1 billion in fresh funding, most of which goes to the state’s poorest schools. . But other notable pieces of legislation were also passed.
Bye. The Senate passed the pharmaceutical benefits manager reform almost unanimously
Lawmakers, with bipartisan support, voted to assist local pharmacists by stopping pharmaceutical industry middlemen, called pharmacy benefit managers. Pharmacists say these companies, hired by insurance companies to handle prescription drugs, are squeezing money out of them by offering lower and lower reimbursement rates for the drugs they dispense.
According to pharmacy industry groups, more than 120 independent and miniature pharmacy chains across Pennsylvania have closed since 2023, largely attributable to PBMs. While the enacted regulations are far from a silver bullet, prohibiting certain industry practices that pharmacists call predatory, the state Department of Insurance will be largely responsible for enforcing them.
Bye. Senate votes to block funding for schools that withdraw from Israel
The Senate also passed legislation in response to campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Although it never passed the House.
The bill would prohibit schools receiving state funds from withdrawing from Israel. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania warned that the bill could infringe on institutions’ rights to protest through political boycotts.
Bye. The Senate has concluded a hearing on taxes in the state-backed Allentown Improvement Zone
There was also a dramatic showdown in the Senate between Treasury Secretary Pat Brown and the state senator who won his previous seat after defeating him in the 2022 primary, Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh).
Coleman pushed for a legislative audit of the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), something Browne had pushed for as a state senator. The Joint Legislative Committee on Budget and Finance subpoenaed Browne, who is currently a member of Shapiro’s cabinet, for records relating to public spending at NIZ. Browne said he was unable to legally release the records.
While this sounds – and is – deeply unclear, there has been a legal dispute over this matter went to the state Supreme Court, threats that Browne would be arrested by the Senate Sergeant at Arms, and Coleman’s heated interrogation of Browne.
The AP is calling the Northeast Philadelphia Senate race for 29-year-old Republican Joe Picozzi.
It was also the year of another election. While the partisan makeup of the state Senate will remain the same (28 Republicans and 22 Democrats), there has been some shake-up. Democrats, somewhat predictably, flipped seats in the 15th District, which became more favorable to the party after redistricting.
More surprisingly, Republicans flipped the seat in Northeast Philadelphia. Joe Picozzi, a 29-year-old who is expected to become the state’s youngest senator when he is sworn in in January, attributed his victory to his robust ground game. He also received support from the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, which was eyeing the district after a majority of voters backed the Republican mayoral candidate in 2023.
When the session ends, the Pennsylvania Senate elects leaders
There was also a shake-up in the election of party caucus leaders who will serve in the next session – at least on the Democratic side.
Republicans re-elected the same slate of caucus leaders to keep their positions next year. Also re-elected were Democratic caucus ranking leaders Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Appropriations Chairman Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) and Minority Whip Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia). But in the longer term, challenges and divisions emerged.
Senator Katie Muth (D-Montgomery), one of the most progressive members of the Senate, was defeated in the caucus elections and will lose her seat as chair of the Democratic Policy Committee. After the vote, she spoke harshly about her club.
“I am not a corporate democrat,” Muth told the Capital-Star. She added: (*5*)
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
