In the weeks leading up to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s second budget address Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Democrat, who has adopted his administration’s slogan of “Get S**t Done,” has been announcing major education, economic and transportation goals for the next budget cycle.
But some unfulfilled goals from his first year in office will likely resurface this year when he speaks to the General Assembly about his vision for the 2024-25 state budget. Raising the minimum wage and providing education vouchers are among the initiatives Shapiro has signaled he will reconsider.
Shapiro unveiled a 10-year economic development strategy last week at OraSure’s headquarters in Bethlehem. The company has found success in Pennsylvania with its at-home saliva tests for HIV and the coronavirus.
Let’s raise the minimum wage.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) February 5, 2024
Pennsylvania’s economic development strategy will focus on five sectors: agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and robotics and technology, and will also include several modern initiatives.
Shapiro said the plan will focus on five key goals: investing in growth to compete, continuing to align government with the pace of business, opening doors of opportunity for all Pennsylvanians, innovating to succeed, and building spirited and resilient regions.
The budget for 2024–2025 will include investments related to the strategy.
After campaigning in 2022 on improving access to public education and workforce development in Pennsylvania, Shapiro last month proposed sweeping reforms to the state’s university and college system.
Aiming to cap tuition for low- and moderate-income students at $1,000 per semester, Shapiro’s plan would unite the 10 public universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education into 15 colleges under a modern governance system.
The higher education plan would also boost Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency grants to private college students and distribute state funds to the state universities — the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State, Temple and Lincoln universities — based on performance.
While Democratic lawmakers praised the plan to expand higher education opportunities for residents, Republican lawmakers said the plan was miniature on details and that funds would continue to go to institutions, not students.
Facing a deficit that will likely lead to service cuts and fare hikes, Shapiro said he will boost funding for mass transit by 1.75% in his 2024-25 budget and allocate $1.5 billion in modern funding over the next five years.
Shapiro said he has been working with local transit leaders and elected officials to understand their needs. The proposal would include a “major investment” in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that would avoid immediate fare cuts or increases and provide the multi-county transit agency with a more stable funding structure.
The proposal has again drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers who have suggested that all areas of the state should have a robust, reliable transit network. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) criticized Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, blaming his progressive criminal justice policies for crime that has kept SEPTA ridership low since the end of pandemic-induced shutdowns.
Shapiro caused a national stir last budget season during an interview with CNN by renewing his campaign pledge for private-school vouchers. A plan negotiated with state Senate Republicans to include $100 million in the budget for the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success scholarship program failed to overcome Democratic opposition.
But Shapiro still publicly supports and backs Republicans and some Democrats on school choice programs. Vouchers remain a powerful bargaining chip for Shapiro, who hopes to promote other budget initiatives.
Raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour is another goal Shapiro is likely to renew after the bill passed the state House of Representatives in June but was not considered by the Senate.
“Let’s raise the minimum wage,” Shapiro wrote Sunday on X.com, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
