(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s Republican leadership is speaking out about the budget deal signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro Wednesday.
After four months of negotiations in which Senate Republicans resisted House Democrat proposals for a budget topping $50 billion, the final product is one majority leaders are calling “responsible.”
“This budget took much longer than expected but ultimately Senate Republicans held the line to keep our promise to the people of Pennsylvania by not raising taxes and ensuring our state savings account – the Rainy Day Fund – was not attacked,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Greensburg. “It is important for Pennsylvanians to know this budget is the direct result of a divided government and two very different approaches to how we govern our state and partner with the federal government.”
Ward went on to celebrate the victories Republicans claimed in the end, including Democrats’ biggest concession, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an interstate compact to reduce carbon emissions.
“While Senate Republicans had to compromise by spending more than we would have preferred, we did achieve some significant policy wins that will give Pennsylvania families more certainty with their electricity rates by abandoning Gov. Shapiro’s carbon tax program known as RGGI, boosting job creation by helping businesses get up and running through ‘deemed approved’ permit reform for air quality general permits and specific NPDES water permit renewals and putting money back in the pockets of low-income working Pennsylvanians through a tax credit that allows Pennsylvania families to spend their money how they want on things like child care, school and food.”
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, echoed sentiments made by Gov. Shapiro and Democratic leaders in the House, saying, “This budget is a product of divided government, and while it may have taken more time than any of us would have preferred, we have brought a divided government together to move our commonwealth forward.”
“The closing of the 2025-26 state budget process marks a new beginning for this commonwealth, filled with economic growth and opportunity,” said Pittman. “This budget moves, monumentally, to increase the promise of Pennsylvania. This is a pro-family and pro-job creator plan, and we have protected taxpayers by making sure the Rainy Day Fund stays intact. Above all, we have removed the anvil of the RGGI electricity tax, which has been hanging over the heads of every consumer of electricity in this commonwealth.”
In addition to eliminating rhetorical “taxes” like the cost imposed by RGGI or dips into the Rainy Day Fund, Gov. Shapiro noted that the corporate net income tax has dropped from 9.99% to 7.49% since he took office.
“The PA State Senate has now passed a final budget that won’t raise taxes on Pennsylvanians while delivering funding for schools and hospitals,” said the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee Communications Director Michael Straw. “The hard-working families of Pennsylvania want real fiscal leadership that prevents crushing tax increases and higher costs, and Senate Republicans delivered.”
Seven of the state’s most conservative Republican Senators joined 46 of their House counterparts in voting against the bill.
